M142 HIMARS
The M142 HIMARS – High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a relatively new weapon system. Lockheed Martin began its development in 1994, production started in 2003. Ideologically it is a classic mobile multiple rocket launcher system based on three-axle wheeled chassis FMTV, which allows airlifting by C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. So moving these weapons thousands of miles away in a few hours is no problem. HIMARS is the little brother of the M270A1 MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket System. The latter is caterpillar-mounted and has twice as much ammunition. The HIMARS has six missiles, while the M270A1 MLRS has 12 missiles.
The world looked very different in 2005. From the rise of the nanotech trend to an era of streaming services, the year ushered in a new age of technology that would forever change the way we interact with our world.
Entering service that year, Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) changed the way warfighters engage in the battlespace by offering, as the name suggests, unmatched mobility in the field.
To maintain an advantage on tomorrow’s battlefield, investment in Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) is imperative, and HIMARS is the keystone to it all.
Technically advanced, affordable and sustainable, HIMARS is interoperable with the latest precision munitions that range 15 to 499+ km. This includes the entire suite of Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) munitions: Extended-Range Guided MLRS (ER GMLRS), GMLRS, the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
HIMARS can fire the same family of munitions as MLRS launchers but with one key difference – a wheeled chassis instead of tracks. This design offers a unique shoot and scoot capability that enables soldiers, Marines and our allies to position, engage and rapidly relocate after firing.
The future battlefield is unpredictable, making adaptability increasingly important. Sometimes this will require bringing the fight to a location previously thought unreachable. That’s where HIMARS shines because its light weight makes it highly transportable. It’s even deployable from C-130 and larger aircraft, providing prompt and decisive action in often hard to reach and austere locations. With multiple global partners that operate HIMARS and MLRS launchers, the U.S. can combine artillery firepower in key regional positions around the globe.
Source: military-stuff.org
