Lockheed Martin has converted a US Marine transport truck into a 24-missile launcher.
The American defense company Lockheed Martin is mostly known for its F-22 and F-35 stealth aircraft, and they also make MARS and HiMARS.
Conceptual image of a rocket artillery system with four rocket pods. Photo: Lockheed Martin
The new vehicle uses conventional units of these rocket artillery systems. However, the equipment is equipped with 4 four blocks. This means that the firepower is twice that of MARS and 4 times that of HiMARS. The Futurezone portal will draw attention to this new product on November 15th.
The unnamed vehicle project was first shown at an event at the US Army. Instead of an entirely new design, existing equipment is used: the MKR18 USMC Logistics Vehicle (LVSR) system is modified.
This is a 5-axle truck weighing 24 tons. The truck can carry 15 tons of cargo off-road and 20 tons on the road. The 600 hp engine provides a maximum speed of 105 km/h. 628 liters of diesel is enough for a range of 483 km.
The MKR18 has hydraulic levers at the rear for loading containers. Lockheed’s concept vehicle uses hydraulics as a ramp to insert missile pods into the launch pad.
Photo: Lockheed Martin
The idea may not seem obvious at first glance. HiMARS was created at the time because MARS is too slow and too heavy for modern warfare – so why the need for an even bigger and heavier device?
The idea is that both the truck and launch units, as well as the infrastructure to charge them, are already available. If the concept is developed further, the MKR18 could be converted into a rocket artillery system in a short time and, if necessary, directly near the operational site. For example, MARS or HiMARS that are destroyed in combat can be replaced or upgraded if additional firepower is needed.
This modular solution has another advantage. According to Lockheed, the vehicle can also launch anti-aircraft missiles. The company does not want to reveal which ones yet. Since the concept vehicle can be integrated into the existing air defense batteries (multiple launchers and fire control station), the use of PAC-3 is likely to be planned. This air defense missile is also produced by Lockheed. It is used for the Patriot air defense system.
The PAC-3 MSE is the latest iteration of the PAC family. The range reaches 120 km. The length is 5.3 meters, which makes it too large to mount rocket artillery. Therefore it cannot be released by MARS and HiMARS.
The new vehicle can be equipped with PAC-3 blocks, similar to those used on the Patriot air defense system launchers. The concept vehicle can be equipped with 12 PAC-3 MSE missiles.
The MEADS launcher launches the PAC-3 MSE. Photo: US Army
The effort to convert vehicles into weapons carriers is not new. Currently, these efforts include preparing the US for a possible conflict with China if the country follows through on its threat to attack Taiwan. Unlike later conflicts, the US faced an army equal or even larger in size, as the US must move additional troops into the combat zone (to China).
By converting unarmored military equipment to armed equipment, an attempt can be made to compensate for a numerical disadvantage or reduce the time until supplies arrive. For this purpose, the United States is currently developing the Rapid Dragon missile launch system. In the future, it will be possible to drop cruise missiles from the cargo compartment of transport aircraft.
Lockheed is constantly improving its missile artillery. The main focus was not on the vehicle, but on the weapon. It was important that new rockets could always be launched from conventional blocks.
Currently conventional weapons are GPS guided missiles (GLRMS) with a range of up to 92 km. ATACMS includes a missile with a range of up to 300 km. Instead of the usual six rockets, each capsule can only carry one. This is where the concept car will show its biggest advantages over HiMARS: instead of one ATACMS, 4 ATACMS can be launched.
PrSM in the US military is currently replacing ATACMS. This guided missile has a range of up to 500 km. At other stages of development, the range will be increased. The goal is 1000 km. Each capsule has room for two PrSMs, so Lockheed’s new product can launch 8 of them.
Another potential weapon is the GLSDB system developed by Boeing and Saab. It is a missile-launched glide bomb with a range of up to 150 km and is of standard GLMRS size. The concept vehicle could carry 24 of these weapons and fire them quickly.
Unlike missiles, these glide bombs have the advantage of being able to fly around obstacles such as mountains or tall buildings and attack the target from the other side. GLSDB was originally intended for Ukraine only. It is not yet known whether the United States will buy them as well.
Lockheed doesn’t appear to have a specific order to turn this concept vehicle into an actual weapon system just yet. Anyway, the SVO showed that rocket artillery is very valuable even on today’s battlefields.
Several other defense companies have introduced similar systems. Lockheed is also collaborating with the German arms company Rheinmetall. With GMARS, a rocket artillery system was introduced, operating as a combination of MARS and HiMARS.
The basic idea of rocket artillery is to fire a large number of projectiles in a short period of time. Additionally, rockets have a longer range than conventional artillery.
The beginning of the use of modern rocket artillery dates back to the Second World War. Germany relied on their Nebelwerfers, which fired rockets.
The US has installed missile launchers on Sherman main battle tanks such as the T34 Calliope.
The most famous system is the Soviet Katyusha system. Because of the whistling sound made by the rockets, German soldiers nicknamed it Stalin’s organ.
The Soviet Union continued to develop rocket artillery. One of the most famous systems is the BM-21 Grad, which is still used by Russia.
The current version used by Russia is the 9A53 Tornado. This truck mounted system is available with 122mm Grad rockets, 220mm rockets and 300mm rockets. It entered service in 2014 and is considered Russia’s answer to HIMARS.
In the 1970s, the United States realized that neither it nor other NATO countries could handle Soviet rocket artillery. To make up for the gap, it was decided to go over the Soviet rocket guns using fewer missiles but with a longer range. For this purpose, a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) with 227 mm caliber rockets was designed.
The MLRS was used by the US under the name M270 in the Gulf War and Afghanistan. Israel used it to bomb targets in the Gaza Strip in 2023.
The latest version of the US Army MLRS is the M270A2. In 2019, the old MLRS was updated with a new guidance system that allows firing from PrSM. The engine and transmission were improved, as was the cabin armor.
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2024-11-17 20:45:00
How does the MKR18 concept vehicle’s design and capabilities compare to HiMARS in terms of mobility, range, and firepower in modern combat scenarios?
Tell me about the MKR18 concept vehicle and its potential use as a rocket artillery system. How does it compare to similar vehicles like HiMARS? What advantages does it have over traditional artillery or missile systems?
What kind of missiles could the MKR18 be equipped with, and how might this vehicle change the way we approach modern warfare? Could it also be used for air defense purposes, and if so, how effective would it be?
What role do you see for vehicles like the MKR18 in the future of military technology, particularly in light of ongoing conflicts and potential threats like China’s proposed attack on Taiwan? How might they be used strategically to counter numerical disadvantages or prolonged supply chains?
Do you think that converting unarmored vehicles into weapons carriers is a viable strategy for modern militaries, or are there better alternatives? What other ways might the military adapt to changing battlefield dynamics, and how might the MKR18 fit into these broader plans?
What are some other examples of rocket artillery systems throughout history, and how have they influenced the design of modern weapons like the MKR18? Are there any potential drawbacks or limitations to using these systems that designers need to consider?
what role does Lockheed Martin play in the development of rocket artillery systems like HiMARS and the MKR18? How do they balance the need for firepower with the practicality of using existing infrastructure and resources?
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