US and Germany to jointly develop European variant of HIMARS launcher

Europe, News, US June 25, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S.-based defense manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall are partnering to develop a European variant of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

The companies are projecting the first batch of GMARS to be delivered by 2025. The GMARS, a wheeled artillery system, aims to replace the MARS 2 multiple-launch rocket system, which is currently being used by German armed forces as well as several other European militaries.

According to the vice president and deputy for strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin Howard Bromberg, the GMARS system would be developed by integrating Rheinmetall chassis and a Lockheed Martin loader component.

He stressed that against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the demand for a new mobile rocket artillery system has immensely increased in the European market. “Everybody is discussing what their future rocket artillery requirements are,” Howard said.

Germany’s Defense Ministry has been discussing the possibility to find a replacement for its aging MARS 2 systems. Germany has also donated at least five of its MARS 2 systems to Ukraine over the past few months increasing the demand for a new launching system. Currently, Germany has only 34 systems left in its inventory. According to the spokesperson of the Germany Ministry of Defense, “preparations for the replacement are underway.”

European nations including France and Germany also operate variants of the M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), a tracked vehicle that has also been used by Ukraine over the past year. HIMARS has seen substantial success in Europe, particularly in Ukraine, while several other countries like Poland and Latvia are seeking to buy U.S.-made artillery systems to bolster their defense capabilities.

*^{HIMARS missile system in Poland. (Image Credit: U.S. Army/Markus Rauchenberger)}*

According to the makers of the HIMARS, the GMARS would feature more than 80% similarity with the HIMARS including the munition packages and logistic chains. The two systems could be operated with the same munition and share similar firing capabilities.

The HIMARS is a C-130 transportable vehicle which means it has been deliberately made smaller to operate on small roads and is capable of traversing bridges with weight restrictions. Meanwhile, the moveable artillery systems in the European market are rarely transported through cargo planes, hence the GMARS systems can be developed on a larger chassis as European nations might prioritize the double rocket loading capabilities.

The GMARS is being modeled on Rheinmetall’s HX 8×8 configuration. It would measure up to 12 meters in length. For comparison, the largest version of the HIMARS truck is 7 meters long.