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Lockheed Martin [LMT] has conducted another successful demonstration of the new extended range version of its GMLRS rocket (ER-GMLRS), once again reaching a range of over 135 kilometers in the final engineering development test.
A company official confirmed to Defense Daily the ER-GMLRS flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on May 27, which will now be followed by system qualification tests before moving onto operational testing.
Photo: Lockheed Martin
“The demonstration confirmed the rocket’s performance in flight trajectory, range and accuracy from launch to target engagement with warhead effects, validated interfaces with the HIMARS launcher and system software performance,” said Gaylia Campbell, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of precision fires and combat maneuver systems.
ER-GMLRS is expected to reach ranges above 150 kilometers, doubling the capability of the current rocket.
The demonstration last week was the fourth and final Engineering Development Test flight, and followed a shot in late March that reached the same extended range.
“The new round will increase units’ capabilities and flexibility while allowing improved battlespace coverage,” Campbell said. “ER-GMLRS will assure our warfighters have options available to meet the mission and restore advantage for commanders with more flexibility for multi-domain operations.”
In February, the State Department approved a potential $91.2 million deal with Finland for ER-GMLRS munitions (Defense Daily, Feb. 17)
The flight test in late March arrived at the same time Lockheed Martin received a new $1.1 billion order from the Army for the production of more than 9,000 GMLRS rockets and 2,000 practice rockets (Defense Daily, March 30).
