WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, New Mexico, — Lockheed Martin is moving its Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) into production after the US Army granted Milestone C approval, following successful soldier-led operational tests in September and October. The company announced the progress on October 19, 2026, marking the transition from development and testing toward manufacturing and military fielding.
ER GMLRS Extends Range to 150 Kilometers
The ER GMLRS is designed to strike targets at distances of up to 150 kilometers, more than twice the approximately 70-kilometer range of the standard GMLRS. It achieves the extended range through an enlarged rocket motor and uses GPS-aided inertial guidance for precision targeting.
During operational tests at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, US soldiers fired multiple rockets in succession from an M270A2 launcher. Both the Unitary Warhead and Alternative Warhead variants successfully completed their flight tests. The Unitary Warhead uses high explosives against specific targets, such as buildings and military installations, while the Alternative Warhead uses fragmentation against targets spread across wider areas.
Earlier tests in late 2025 and early 2026 demonstrated performance beyond 100 kilometers, including a 112-kilometer flight from a HIMARS launcher at White Sands Missile Range.
Compatible With Existing Launchers
The extended-range rockets are compatible with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and tracked M270 launchers, allowing operators to add longer-range capability without purchasing new launch vehicles.
Sabrina Barnes, vice president of Lockheed Martin Precision Fires Rockets, 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 U.S. and international operators.”
Production and Deployment
Lockheed Martin is expanding manufacturing capacity and strengthening its supply chains to meet anticipated demand. However, the company has not announced specific production targets, delivery schedules or a confirmed operational deployment date.
The programme began as an engineering change proposal for the existing GMLRS family and progressed through system qualification and operational testing. Lockheed Martin continues to manufacture GMLRS rockets at facilities supporting its precision-fires production line.
ER GMLRS will join the company’s precision-fires portfolio, which includes standard GMLRS, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). These weapons serve different range and mission requirements while sharing elements of a common launcher ecosystem.
The programme comes as the United States and its international partners increase investment in artillery rockets and precision-guided munitions.
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