Lockheed Martin confirmed the first batch of M142 HIMARS rocket launchers will land in Australia in the first quarter of 2025, ahead of schedule. This is because the U.S. Army prioritised Australian requirements and allotted it next year’s first batch of vehicles.
Further batches will follow in 2026 and 2027, with all 42 HIMARS on order slated to arrive before the end of 2027.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Land Forces 2024 exhibition, Wayne Harrison, international business development principal at Lockheed Martin, described Australia’s transition to rocket artillery as almost identical to the experience of the U.S. Marine Corps when it too added HIMARS to its M777 towed howitzers.
The Australian Army “is making a generational leap in very short order”, requiring a mind shift from tens of kilometres to hundreds of kilometres, plus a necessity to manage and deconflict airspace through which rockets will travel.
Harrison also revealed that Lockheed Martin is advocating a regional HIMARS training and maintenance centre, which could serve nearby customers like Singapore. “We want to transition the sustainment of this system from FMS [Foreign Military Sales] field service reps, and slowly transition them to Australian industry here.”
Harrison said the HIMARS will remain a U.S. programme of record till the mid-2050s, which ensures it has a long life ahead of it. He also noted the HIMARS can fit inside a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, meaning it can perform HIMARS rapid insertion missions in littoral regions.
Under the Guided Weapons and Explosives Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise, the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) will be the first new weapon to be assembled in Australia.
James Heading, director of programs at the Strategic Capabilities Office within Lockheed Martin Australia’s missiles and fire control division, confirmed the first GMLRS rockets would roll off Australian assembly lines in 2025.
Furthermore, Lockheed Martin Australia announced on 11 September a teaming agreement with Thales Australia encompassing exploration of opportunities for production of solid rocket motors for the Australian market. The agreement’s purpose is to collaborate, qualify and produce motors for GMLRS in Australia under GWEO.
Heading said GMLRS is a suitable starting point for Australia. However, Australia is presumed to be ultimately eyeing the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). Canberra is already a PrSM co-developer, but a production, sustainment and future development memorandum of understanding is currently being negotiated between the two governments. This should cover all planned four increments of the PrSM.
“We believe there will be avenues to co-production for Australia, as negotiated by Australia and where they want to go,” Harrison explained.
Harrison said the future PrSM Increment 2 could also meet requirements for Australia’s land-based maritime strike requirement under Project Land 8113 Phase 2. He noted the PrSM has a longer range than the Naval Strike Missile, where Kongsberg and Thales Australia have teamed up to offer the Bushmaster-based StrikeMaster.
by Gordon Arthur, Melbourne
