Lockheed Martin successfully fired a U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile in a recent stockpile verification test at Fort Bliss, TX. The missile was fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher.

The test used an ATACMS Unitary variant missile to destroy a target approximately 175 kilometers away. The operation met all mission objectives, which included:

  --  Demonstrating of the missile/launcher interface and missile
      reliability;
  --  Collecting performance, technical and reliability data for assessment
      of production missiles;
  --  Validating missile performance and accuracy; and
  --  Proving performance of system software.

"Lockheed Martin is constantly seeking to meet the needs of our customers," said Scott Arnold, vice president for Precision Fires and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Our systems have been combat proven to deliver enduring precision and long-range strike capability in all weather and environments."

In addition to the U.S., ATACMS is fielded in Bahrain, Greece, South Korea and Turkey.

"ATACMS continues to provide the joint force commander with reliable and responsive test option, with consistent reliability over 98 percent in harsh combat conditions," said Col. David Rice, U.S. Army project manager of Precision Fires Rocket and Missile Systems.

HIMARS can accommodate the entire family of Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) munitions, including all variants of the Guided MLRS rocket and 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 launch its missiles and move away from the launch area before enemy forces locate the launch site. HIMARS can be transported by C-130 "Hercules" aircraft, which allows HIMARS to be deployed into areas inaccessible to heavier launchers and is a force multiplier to the units it supports.

During Operation Desert Storm, ATACMS became the first tactical surface-to-surface missile ever fired in combat by the U.S. Army. ATACMS is a combat-proven evolutionary family of missiles that also scored numerous successes again in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, where approximately 550 ATACMS missiles have been fired in the Global War on Terror with superior reliability.

Last year, as the system continued to evolve, an ATACMS Unitary missile was first fired from a HIMARS launcher equipped with a Universal Fire Control System. This evolutionary block upgrade and technology refresh of the MLRS Fire Control System resulted in a successful test, with a target destroyed approximately 75 kilometers away.

ATACMS is the world's premier long-range missile artillery round designed specifically for destroying high-priority targets at ranges up to 300 kilometers. Successfully employed in both urban and non-urban environments, it is able to deliver a wide variety of warhead options. Moreover, it can operate in all climate and light conditions while remaining beyond the range of most conventional weapons. Each ATACMS missile is packaged in a MLRS launch pod and is fired from the MLRS Family of Launchers.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 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 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin