Lockheed Martin has received a $512 million contract to provide the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) to the U.S. Army and to the U.S. Marine Corps.

Work on the contract will be performed at the company's facilities in Camden, AR, and Grand Prairie, TX, and is scheduled for completion in 4th quarter 2010. Specific quantities of vehicles and rockets were not disclosed.

"The HIMARS system brings much more mobile and lethal dimension to Soldiers and Marines," said Lt. Col. John Chicoli, U.S. Army Precision Guided Munitions and Rockets Product Manager. "HIMARS' exceptional mobility and transportability, together with the newest evolution of the MLRS family of munitions, bring long-range, precision fires, all-weather, near-vertical impact to theater -- greatly reducing collateral damage."

HIMARS can accommodate the entire family of MLRS munitions, including all variants of the Guided MLRS rocket and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles. Designed to enable troops to engage and defeat artillery, air defense concentrations, trucks, light armor and personnel carriers, as well as support troop and supply concentrations, HIMARS can move away from the area at high speed following missile launch, well before enemy forces are able to locate the launch site.

Because of its C-130 transportability, HIMARS can be deployed into areas previously inaccessible to heavier launchers and provides a force multiplier to the modular brigade. It also incorporates the self-loading, autonomous features that have made MLRS the premier rocket artillery system in the world.

HIMARS carries a single six-pack of MLRS rockets, or one ATACMS missile. Its fire control system, electronics and communications units are interchangeable with the existing MLRS M270A1 launcher, and the crew and training are the same. HIMARS units are currently deployed by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

"In theater, the GMLRS Unitary rocket has earned the nickname 'the 70-kilometer Sniper Rifle,' and continues to live up to that reputation mission after mission," said Lt. Col. Mark Pincoski, U.S. Army Product Manager, Precision Guided Missiles and Rockets. "Guided Unitary has reshaped the way indirect fires are applied throughout the battlefield thanks to its 24-hour, all-weather availability and pinpoint accuracy."

Guided Unitary MLRS is the newest variant which leverages the GMLRS experience and investment to integrate a unitary warhead with a multi-mode fuze to expand the MLRS target set to include point targets within urban and complex environments. In January 2005, the U.S. Army issued an Urgent Need Statement for acceleration of GMLRS Unitary deliveries in support of counter fire operations. Lockheed Martin delivered the first 72 GMLRS Unitary rockets in June 2005 satisfying the requirements of the Urgent Need Statement. The first 900+ rockets were delivered to the U.S. in 2005 and 2006.

"The successes of these systems speak for themselves," said Rick Edwards, vice president of Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "HIMARS and GMLRS, coupled with a world-class logistics footprint, are becoming ubiquitous to the urban and counter insurgency fight whenever surgical precision is needed."

GMLRS is an all-weather, precision strike, artillery rocket system that achieves greater range and precision accuracy requiring fewer rockets to defeat targets, thereby reducing the number of rockets necessary to defeat current targets as well as limiting collateral damage. GMLRS is a Future Force system that provides the joint warfighter with immediate, precision fires to engage, destroy and deny terrain to the enemy.

GMLRS is effective against counter fire, air defense, light materiel and personnel targets. GMLRS incorporates a Global Positioning System-aided inertial guidance package integrated on a product improved rocket body. Additionally, small canards on the Guided Rocket nose add basic maneuverability to further enhance the accuracy of the system.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

For additional information, visit our web site: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin