Lockheed Martin wins $471M contract

Lockheed Martin has announced that it has received a $471 million contract from the U.S. Army for Lot 12 production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets, according to arkansasbusiness.com.

The work will be performed at the company's facilities in Camden and Dallas. All production deliveries are anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2019.

The contract calls for the production of GMLRS Alternative Warhead rockets, GMLRS Unitary rockets, Reduced-Range Practice Rockets and integrated logistics support for the U.S. Army and Foreign Military Sales.

The GMLRS rockets are all-weather rockets designed for fast deployment to deliver precision strike beyond the reach of most conventional weapons.

The warhead rocket was the first munition developed to service area targets without the effects of unexploded ordinance, complying with the Department of Defense’s cluster munitions policy.

Lockheed said the Unitary rocket exceeds the required combat reliability rate and has "an established reputation for affordability," while the RRPR allows users to train with realistic, full-motored rockets with limited flight range, making them ideal for smaller testing ranges.

In combat operations, each GMLRS rocket is packaged in an MLRS launch pod and is fired from the Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or M270 family of launchers.

Also, GMLRS was established as an international cooperative program among the U.S. and its allies.