U.S. Army orders more M270A2 launcher upgrades

The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin $200 million to rebuild more M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System launchers to the M270A2 standard, the company said. The September award is the latest in a series of contracts that began in 2019 to modernize the tracked rocket launcher.

The recapitalization strips down existing M270 launchers and rebuilds them as close to new, with a new engine, an armored cab and the Common Fire Control System, the same fire-control system used on the wheeled HIMARS launcher. That shared system lets the two launchers fire the same family of precision munitions, including GMLRS, Extended-Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile, and lets crews trained on one system move more easily to the other.

The Army has awarded similar M270A2 recapitalization contracts nearly every year since 2019, including a $362 million award in 2019, a $226 million award in 2020, a $451 million award in 2024 and a $214 million award last year. Lockheed Martin has said the goal is to keep the M270 fleet in service through 2050. The Army’s fleet includes 225 M270A1 launchers being upgraded to the A2 standard, along with about 160 older, decommissioned M270A0 launchers slated for the same overhaul.

The M270A2 is a tracked launcher that carries more armor and cargo capacity than the wheeled HIMARS, while HIMARS offers greater mobility on roads. Both can fire the Extended-Range GMLRS, which reaches out to 150 km (93 miles), and the Precision Strike Missile, a longer-range weapon still being fielded across the Army. Lockheed Martin has said only the M270A2 and HIMARS can fire those newer munitions, which older, unmodernized M270 launchers cannot use.

The recapitalization work is split among Lockheed Martin’s Camden, Arkansas, plant and facilities in Grand Prairie and New Boston, Texas, with the Army’s Red River Army Depot handling part of the overhaul. Recent contracts have carried completion dates stretching into 2027 and 2030, reflecting the scale of the work needed to rebuild dozens of launchers at a time.

The Army has fielded more than 220 M270-series launchers, and international partners that operate the M270 or HIMARS, including NATO members, are also eligible for the upgraded fire-control system under foreign military sales.

If you wish to report a grammatical or factual error in this article, please let us know by using the

online form.

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.