Yuma, Arizona – Raytheon, a division of RTX, has completed the third successful flight test of its DeepStrike JR3 training rocket for the U.S. Army. The test took place at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, where the company fired multiple rockets in rapid succession.
The DeepStrike JR3 is being developed as a replacement for the U.S. Army’s existing Reduced Range Practice Rocket (RRPR). It is designed to support live-fire training for crews operating the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS rocket artillery systems while reducing training costs.
During the latest test, Raytheon evaluated the rockets' range, trajectory and accuracy. The trial also confirmed that ground crews could clearly identify the rocket's visual marking solution at the impact point, helping assess training results.
Another key objective was testing the launch pod's reusability and maintainability. The container is designed to hold 24 JR3 rockets within the standard Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions (MFOM) footprint. Raytheon demonstrated that the pod can be reused and maintained after firing.
"DeepStrike JR3 meets the performance the Army expects from a training rocket while driving down cost and complexity," said Brian Burton, vice president of Precision Fires & Maneuver at Raytheon. He added that combining an affordable rocket with a reusable pod would provide the Army with a more sustainable training solution.
Industry Partners and Next Steps
Raytheon is developing the JR3 under a rapid prototyping initiative, using commercially available technologies to reduce manufacturing costs and support higher production rates.
The programme involves several industry and government partners, including Combined Systems Inc., Corvid Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman and Letterkenny Munitions Center.
Following the third successful flight test, Raytheon is preparing additional trials to demonstrate the rocket's design maturity before it advances to the U.S. Army's qualification phase.
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