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| Science & Technology |
| Smart Rockets Rule The Battlefield |
| 2011-07-01 |
| The U.S. Army has bought 4,410 more GMLRS (GPS guided MLRS) rockets, as well as 3,048 cheaper (reduced range, no explosives) practice rockets. These are packaged and used in containers (pods) holding six rockets each. This new order includes rockets for the U.S. Marine Corps and foreign customers, although the U.S. Army and Marine Corps will get most of them. Deliveries will begin next year. So far, about 2,000 GMLRS rockets have been fired in combat. GMLRS rockets cost about $100,000 each. The 309 kg (680 pound) GMLRS (guided multiple launch rocket system) missile is a GPS guided 227mm rocket that entered service seven years ago. It was designed to have a range of 70 kilometers and the ability to land within meters of its intended target, at any range. This is possible because it uses GPS (plus a back up inertial guidance system) to find the target location it was programmed with. Three years ago, the army tested GMLRS at max range (about 85 kilometers) and found that it worked fine. This enables one MLRS/HIMARS vehicle to provide support over a frontage of 170 kilometers, or, in places like Afghanistan, where the fighting can be anywhere, an area of over 20,000 square kilometers. This is a huge footprint for a single weapon (an individual MLRS/HIMARS vehicle), and fundamentally changes the way you deploy artillery in combat. By way of comparison, Excalibur (GPS guided 155mm shell) has a max range of 37 kilometers, and 120mm mortars about 7.5 kilometers. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #13 $100K missile versus leading a fireteam on a sniper clearing op? Money well spent from my viewpoint. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2011-07-01 22:11 |
| #12 Yes but think of how much all the lawyers cost if we take them prisoners. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick - Halliburton Lost Drill Bit Division 2011-07-01 20:14 |
| #11 But 100k a shot? Good thing we're rich. |
| Posted by: KBK 2011-07-01 19:41 |
| #10 Saw a test of these on one of the gee-whiz weapon cable shows. They intentionally fired the rocket off-axis, about 45 degrees to the right of the direct line to the target. Still hit. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2011-07-01 16:14 |
| #9 These weapons make it somewhat more likely that Afghanistan will be a success even with fewer troops. Somewhat. |
| Posted by: Lord Garth 2011-07-01 15:56 |
| #8 Oh yeah, the vid here is from our BN, Alpha 2-20, supporting Marines (probably Marines you hear in the background). If you watch closely you can see a bad guy fall from the sky on the left side of the building about 8 seconds after the blast. You can also see a few baddies fly off the right side of the building when the rocket hits. Classic. |
| Posted by: Keenster 2011-07-01 15:30 |
| #7 Our BN shot these in OIF 05-07; they racked up kills. Happy to see GMLRS (or MLRS in general) get the use it deserves. Shoot, move, and communicate! |
| Posted by: Keenster 2011-07-01 15:28 |
| #6 This is so totally more awesome than when I was with MLRS / ATACMS. One launcher could wipe out an entire grid square on a map. It was all fun and dandy cept for when you break track. |
| Posted by: newc 2011-07-01 15:04 |
| #5 "Artillery lends dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl." |
| Posted by: mojo 2011-07-01 14:29 |
| #4 That is what the NCOs are for, Steve. And to wipe the snotty nose of the butter bar and to stomp mud holes in the privates. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2011-07-01 11:44 |
| #3 Of course, the trick is for the butter bar to know which grid coordinates to call in. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-07-01 11:34 |
| #2 Makes the old idea of firebases obsolete. Which is a good thing. I still love the idea of calling in support fire for 10 different areas around the country and hitting the button and have 10 radio operators say, "Thanks!" |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2011-07-01 11:33 |
| #1 Boy Howdy, so us butter bars calling in fire support can give a 10 place grid coordinate and take a smoke break? Wow, I mean back in the day, this could have been a wonder weapon. But now? Geez, the kid commanders have a GPS, satellite imagery and these things. It is not a good time to be a bad guy. The theories of insurgency that Mao, et. al. wrote and every tin hat fanatic reads, have now run head long into the meat grinder that is modern technology, highly trained, disciplined troops and overwhelming fire power...I guess that is why most of these crazed loons out there seem happier blowing up girls schools and car bombing markets, the guy who wants to martyr himself would prefer to make strawberry jam of himself when he can inflict casualties instead of making jam of himself at 85 clicks trying to heat water to make tea. |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2011-07-01 10:57 |