M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
| M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) | |
|---|---|
M270 MLRS
|
|
| Type | Multiple rocket launcher |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Since March 31, 1983 |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars |
Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vought Corporation |
| Designed | 1977 |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin, Diehl BGT Defence, Aérospatiale |
| Produced | 1980–2003 |
| Variants |
M270A1 M270B1 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 55,000 lb (24,950 kg) |
| Length | 22 ft 6 in (6.85 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| Height | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
| Crew | 3 |
|
|
|
| Rate of fire |
Rockets: 12 rounds in < 40 sec Missiles: 2 rounds in 10 sec |
| Effective firing range | M26: 32 km (20 mi) M26A1/A2: 45 km (28 mi) M30/31: 84 km (52 mi) GMLRS+: 120 km (75 mi) |
| Maximum firing range | ATACMS: 165 or 300 km (103 or 186 mi) |
|
|
|
|
Main
armament |
M269 Launcher Loader Module |
| Engine | Cummins Diesel 500 hp (368 kW) |
|
Operational
range |
400 miles (640 km) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64.3 km/h) |
M270A1
Rockets: 12 rounds in < 40 sec
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS) is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.
Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the United States and in Europe, along with more than 700,000 rockets. The production of the M270 ended in 2003, when a last batch was delivered to the Egyptian Army.
The weapon can fire guided and unguided projectiles up to 42 km (26 mi). Firing ballistic missiles, such as the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), it can hit targets 300 km (190 mi) away; the warhead in such shots reaches an altitude of about 50 km (164,000 ft). The M270 can be used in shoot-and-scoot tactics, firing its rockets rapidly, then moving away to avoid counter-battery fire.
MLRS was developed jointly by the United Kingdom, United States, West Germany, France and Italy. It was developed from the older General Support Rocket System (GSRS). The M270 MLRS weapons system is collectively known as the M270 MLRS Self-propelled Loader/Launcher (SPLL). The SPLL is composed of three primary subsystems: the M269 Loader Launcher Module (LLM), which also houses the electronic Fire Control System, is mated to the M993 Carrier Vehicle. The M993 is a derivative of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle chassis.
The rockets and ATACMS missiles are contained in interchangeable pods. Each pod contains six standard rockets or one guided ATACMS missile; the two types cannot be mixed. The LLM can hold two pods at a time, which are hand-loaded using an integrated winch system. All twelve rockets or two ATACMS missiles can be fired in under a minute. One launcher firing twelve rockets can completely blanket one square kilometer with submunitions. For this reason, the MLRS is sometimes referred to as the "Grid Square Removal System" (metric maps are usually divided up into 1 km grids). A typical MLRS cluster salvo consisted of three M270 vehicles each firing all 12 rockets. With each rocket containing 644 M77 grenades, the entire salvo would drop 23,184 grenades in the target area. However, with a two percent dud rate, that would leave approximately 400 undetonated bombs scattered over the area, which would endanger friendly troops and civilians.
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Wikipedia