09 September 2022

Lockheed Martin UK offers up Ampthill site for UK M270 MLRS upgrade

by Olivia Savage

The British Army's M270 Multiple Rocket Launcher (pictured above). Once upgraded, the launchers will be able to fire the US Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which has a range of 499 km. (Crown Copyright)

Lockheed Martin UK (LMUK) is exploring options to upgrade the British Army's M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) in the UK, company officials told Janes .

Eve Holding, head of Strategy and Business Development at LMUK, informed Janes at a company briefing on 7 September that LMUK had proposed to upgrade the British Army's M270 MLRS at their Ampthill site in the UK, to accelerate the modernisation of the vehicles.

Following an agreement with the US Department of Defense (DoD), the UK launched a project to upgrade its M270 MLRS in April 2021. The project includes the installation of improved armoured cabs on 44 launcher vehicles in addition to the modernisation of the automotive and launch mechanism components, scheduled to be installed at the US Army's Red River Depot in Texas and Lockheed Martin's facility in Camden, Arkansas.

Holding said that the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the DoD were deciding whether this was a plausible option, with a decision likely expected before the end of 2022.

LMUK's Ampthill facility is currently manufacturing the turrets for the Ajax and was facilitating the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme until the project was cancelled in March 2021. The site will also play a significant role in manufacturing Hanwha Defense's K9A2 self-propelled howitzer, should Team Thunder win the UK Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) bid.

Lockheed Martin UK (LMUK) is exploring options to upgrade the British Army's M270 Multiple Launch Ro...

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