US Army awards nearly USD5 billion GMLRS contract

An M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System fires a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rocket in Grafenwӧhr, Germany, in 2019. The US Army announced a new contract for GMLRS and supporting equipment that is not to exceed USD4.79 billion. (US Army)

Lockheed Martin won a contract to build Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) for the US Army, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 27 April.

The contract – worth up to USD4.79 billion – would task Lockheed with manufacturing two full-rate production lots of the GMLRS Unitary and Alternative Warhead rockets that are frequently used in the Ukraine conflict by 2026, according to the DoD. The army is also contracting Lockheed Martin for integrated logistics support for the service and its “international partners”, according to a Lockheed Martin press release.

There is a spike in demand for GMLRS because of its accuracy and cost, said Jay Price, vice-president of precision fires for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We are working closely with our army customer and supply chain partners, who are moving with unprecedented speed, to ramp production capacity supporting the urgent need for this highly reliable, combat-proven rocket,” he said on 27 April.

Lockheed will manufacture the equipment at facilities in Camden, Arkansas; Dallas and Lufkin, Texas; Archbald, Pennsylvania; and Orlando, Florida.

The manufacturer is also receiving more funds from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to build Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and associated one-shot devices, according to the DoD's contract announcements on 27 April. The contract modification gave Lockheed USD180 million more for the systems, which are expected to be integrated into the army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).