Rheinmetall has introduced GMARS, a new mobile artillery missile system developed jointly with Lockheed Martin.
< p>As noted in the publication of the influential American publication Newsweek, the Global Mobile Artillery Missile System (GMARS) was presented within the framework of American-German defense cooperation, which is designed to significantly increase NATO's firepower, ArmyInform reports.
How it is stated in the official release from Rheinmetall, it is a two-component MLRS that will allow for "current and future" the task of firing long-range missiles. It provides, among other things, a firing range at a distance of over 400 km.
"In 2023, Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin’joined forces to consolidate their individual strengths and developed GMARS as a solution to meet the growing demand for long-range reactive artillery», — it is stated in a document from the German manufacturer.
The new MLRS is equipped with an 8 8 drive, which allows you to carry two missile launchers instead of one. At the same time, the equipment is compatible with many ammunition used for HIMARS MLRS (Lockheed develops the rocket part for it, the rest is produced by BAE Systems) and most MLRS projectiles.
The goal of creating a new system is a high degree of compatibility with the M270/HIMARS missile system and the new product will be able to work with NATO forces that already use MLRS and HIMARS. It has a Firepower inertial navigation guidance system with GPS for short and long-range targets and a built-in crane to make the vehicle capable of safely loading its own missile containers.
According to the German publication Handelsblatt, the system is also compatible with the American ATACMS long-range cruise missiles. The new system was shown at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris this summer. The head of Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, then stated that the company was negotiating with five potential customer countries. Deliveries may begin in the middle of next year.
The 8×8 HX chassis means that, despite weighing more than 40 tons, GMARS can reach speeds of more than 100 km/h and has a range of 700 km. This also means that the car can “shoot and run”. In other words, it can release its missiles and move from a firing position long before the enemy responds in kind.
The design of the system allows unhindered movement on ordinary roads and railway transport. GMARS operates with minimal crew and offers additional cabin protection while maintaining a compact footprint without the need for outriggers.
It is reported that if the German side concludes a contract for the purchase of GMARS, the first five GMARS systems can be delivered for testing and acceptance as early as 2025 year. One of the top managers of Lockheed Martin, Howard Bromberg, also said that Germany may occasionally request the purchase of the original HIMARS systems from the US government as a «temporary solution».
According to the representative of the Rheinmetall group, his the company can prepare the RMMV HX chassis for integration into the composition of the GMARS complex within a few months after the signing of the contract.
The GMARS complex thus competes with another proposal to replace the MARS 2 missile systems in the Bundeswehr — from the German company KMW (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann), which promotes, together with the Israeli Elbit Systems, the concept of the Euro-PULS missile system (a variant of the Israeli multi-caliber weapon).