High Mobility Artillery Rocket System

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a U.S. light multiple rocket launcher system mounted on a truck.

HIMARS carries six rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile on the U.S. Army's new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) five-ton truck, and can launch the entire Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) family of munitions. HIMARS is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1, carrying half the rocket load.

The vehicle is C-130 transportable and produced by BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems (formerly Armor Holdings Aerospace and Defense Group Tactical Vehicle Systems Division), the OEM of the FMTV. The rocket system is produced by Lockheed Martin.

In 2002, the United States Marine Corps arranged with the U.S. Army to acquire 40 of the systems. Fielding began in 2005. In July 2007, Marines from Fox Battery 2nd Battalion 14th Marines were deployed to the Al Anbar provence of Iraq. This is the first Marine unit to use the HIMARS in combat.

As of September 2007, Singapore has proposed to acquire HIMARS systems for its Army. The package includes 18 HIMARS launchers, 9 FMTV 5-Ton Trucks and XM31 unitary HE GMLRS pods, plus associated support and communications equipment and services. This proposed package is notable for not involving the M-26 or other unguided MLRS rockets. If realised in its current form, it would likely create the only fully precision-guided MLRS force in existence.

Specifications

Related Development

The British Army is expected to deploy a system called Lightweight Mobile Artillery Weapon System (LIMAWS), which launches the same munitions from a similar vehicle (a single MLRS pod, mounted on a Supacat 600 transporter). [ [http://www.defense-update.com/events/2007/summary/dsei07_missiles.htm#camm Missiles and Fire Support at DSEi 2007 ] ]

Operators

*USA
**United States Army
**United States Marine Corps
*SIN
**Singapore Army (On Order)

ee also

* BM-27 Multiple Launch Rocket System
* BM-30 Multiple Launch Rocket System
* M-26 artillery rocket
* M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
* TOS-1 Heavy flame thrower system

External links

*http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/himars.htm
* [http://www.army-technology.com/projects/himars/ Army-Technology.com: HIMARS]
* [http://www.missilesandfirecontrol.com/our_products/firesupport/HIMARS/product-HIMARS.html Lockheed-Martin: HIMARS]
* [http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2007/Singapore_07-48.pdf DoD Press Release on Proposed HIMARS Sale to Singapore]
* [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/mlrs.html Information about M26/M30/M31 MLRS rockets on designation-systems.net]