Lockheed Martin will begin producing and fielding the Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) after successfully completing two operational tests led by US Army personnel.
The ER GMLRS, part of Lockheed Martin’s precision fires portfolio, demonstrated its effectiveness during a series of flights in September and October at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
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The tests included firing multiple rockets, both Alternative Warhead and Unitary Warhead variants, from an M270A2 launcher.
According to the company, these trials validated the system’s capacity to provide extended-range precision fire in a variety of operational conditions.
With the Army’s recent approval at Milestone C, the formal transition to production and deployment, Lockheed Martin will now focus on scaling manufacturing and delivery of the new rocket.
The ER GMLRS extends existing capabilities, achieving ranges up to 150km, and can be fired from the company’s current launcher systems including the HIMARS and M270.
Lockheed Martin Precision Fires Rockets vice president Sabrina Barnes said: “The value of ER GMLRS is not only the additional range. It is the ability to add capability within an existing precision fires architecture – an approach that provides a common foundation for US and international operators.”
The advancement towards operational fielding and expanded production of ER GMLRS comes after Lockheed Martin received a $3bn contract in June this year to continue production of both standard and extended-range GMLRS rounds under the fiscal year 2026 procurement cycle.
The ER GMLRS forms part of a broader push to augment the US Army’s and its allies’ munition inventories, which includes GMLRS, Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Precision Strike Missile.
The precision-guided ER GMLRS rocket measures 3.93m in length and 0.22m in width.
Launcher pods are designed to carry six rockets each, with the M270 MLRS capable of deploying two pods at a time, while the HIMARS system carries one.
The ER GMLRS is compatible with both Unitary and Alternative Warhead (AW) types. It incorporates guidance using a GPS-aided inertial navigation system and is fitted with small manoeuvring canards at the nose to enhance accuracy.
In March 2024, the Army carried out a live-fire demonstration of the ER GMLRS at White Sands Missile Range.
Previous tests have confirmed the rocket’s performance at different ranges, including a 112km flight in December 2025 using a HIMARS launcher.
