Lockheed Martin says $200 million U.S. Army M270A2 upgrade will connect tracked rocket launchers with HIMARS and allied forces – Defence Industry Europe

Lockheed Martin says $200 million U.S. Army M270A2 upgrade will connect tracked rocket launchers with HIMARS and allied forces  Defence Industry Europe

Lockheed Martin has received a $200 million U.S. Army award to recapitalize additional M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to the M270A2 standard. Lockheed Martin has received a $200 million U.S. Army award to recapitalize additional M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to the M270A2 standard. The September award extends a series of contracts supporting modernization of the tracked precision-fires platform. The investment is designed to preserve the M270’s battlefield role while integrating it more closely into the Army’s evolving fires architecture. The upgraded launchers will operate alongside HIMARS, joint-force units and allied systems rather than function as stand-alone platforms. The M270A2 and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System offer different combinations of mobility, protection and capacity.

Both are built around the Common Fire Control System and use the same family of precision weapons. That weapons portfolio includes GMLRS, Extended-Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile. The shared architecture reduces differences in training and logistics while giving commanders more choice in how they employ each launcher. The M270A2 provides the protection and carrying capacity of a tracked platform. HIMARS provides a lighter wheeled option with greater road mobility, making the two systems complementary within a common fires structure. The M270A2 package includes a new engine, an Improved Armored Cab and the Common Fire Control System. Compatibility with next-generation weapons is intended to