France, Germany, Singapore To Receive Lockheed Martin GMLRS Alternative warhead

Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control was yesterday awarded a $471,731,858 foreign military sales (Finland, France, Germany, and Singapore) contract for guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) full-rate production 12 for alternative warhead (2,868 rockets); unitary warhead (648 rockets); low-cost reduced-range practice rocket (370 pods); and integrated logistics support.

Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2019.

The GMLRS Alternative Warhead was designed to engage the same target set and achieve the same area-effects requirement as the old MLRS submunition warheads, but without the lingering danger of unexploded ordnance.

The Alternative Warhead rocket will allow all users of the MLRS to have an area-effects weapon in their inventories without the need to procure additional launcher systems, according to a Lockheed Martin release.

The first Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Alternative Warhead rocket has rolled off the production line in September 2016. Each GMLRS Alternative Warhead rocket can be packaged in an MLRS launch pod and fired from the Lockheed Martin HIMARS or M270 family of launchers.