HIMARS - High Mobility Artillery Rocket System: characteristics

HIMARS - rocket launcher system with increased mobility. It is designed to attack areas of artillery concentration, air defense systems, trucks, technical support units, armored personnel carriers and other objects. The second function of the HIMARS system is to support its troops and support facilities. Let's find out what else this system can boast of, symbolizing modern American armament!

Prerequisites for creating

The main reason the US Armed Forces thought about creating such a complex was the need to arm marines, paratroopers and rapid reaction forces with mobile launchers that could be sent to the air almost anywhere.

In the mid-1980s, Loral Vought Systems began exploring the prospect of developing a six-barrel TPK (transport launch canister) for 227-caliber rockets and mounting it to caterpillar and wheeled chassis. The program for creating an artillery system of high mobility was also aimed at the prospect of air transportation of the system with the help of a C-130 military aircraft. Operation Just Cause, which was held in late 1989 in Panama, absolutely clearly illustrated the need to develop HIMARS.

Development

In the summer of 1990, the US Army began to make demands for a lightweight reactive system based on the truck chassis. Demonstration of the prototype took place in September 1994. And a year and a half later, the command of US guided weapons concluded a contract with the companies Fire Control and Lockheed Martin Missiles for assembling the MLRS HIMARS cars. The contract cost was 22.3 billion dollars.

According to the terms of the contract, the company specialists assembled four experienced combat vehicles. Three of them were handed over to the customer for two-year tests, and the fourth remained for testing by the developer. In the summer of 1998, experts from the US Army successfully carried out firing tests of the ATACMS rocket on the basis of a prototype of the MLRS HIMARS machine.

Qualification tests

Serious tests of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (the full name of the system) were held in 2003. They included shooting with such projectiles: an unguided missile M26, missiles MGM-140B and MGM-164A of the ATACMS complex, as well as guided projectiles of the MLRS system. To this day, there is no reliable information as to whether one chassis can fit the TPK of different calibers. In January 2004, the manufacturer completely completed the tests of a prototype machine. As a result, it was confirmed that HIMARS is a multiple launch rocket system, which has decent tactical-combat and operational characteristics. On one of the tests the military recreated the theater of military operations as much as possible. They brought the prototype to the test site with a C-130 transport aircraft. Less than five minutes the car was unloaded. Then she occupied the firing position and received a combat mission on the digital channel. As a result, a volley of six training missiles was fired. The joint exercises / tests were attended by representatives of MLRS, the Army and the Marine Corps.

In the summer of 2005, the HIMARS missile system began to enter service. The first division, which had in its arsenal of the HIMARS system, was the 27th regiment of field artillery of 18 airborne corps in America.

Rocket P44

In the 2000s, Lockheed Martin developed a prototype of the P44 missile, which was designed to accurately hit long-range moving targets, as part of the MLRS and HIMARS combat systems. To launch it, a special container was built, containing 10 rockets. The prototype could work both with GPS, in the mode of auxiliary inertial guidance, for hitting fixed targets, and with the homing head for moving targets. In the second case, the missile was equipped with the principle of a single multipurpose JCM missile.

The prototype had a homing head operating in three modes:

1. Doppler radar. Works in millimeter wave band. Can be used in all weather conditions. It affects moving targets.
2. Cooled infrared. Defines and classifies goals.
3. Semi-active laser. It hits targets with additional targeting.

As the launch accelerator was selected 177-millimeter model, which is characterized by low price and the possibility of further refinement. In the design of the prototype, an enlarged head part was used from the Hellfire II rocket or a cumulative head, characterized by the presence of a forming device. In the future, it was assumed that it would be possible to increase the length and mass of the rocket.

In March 2007, information appeared that the missile had successfully passed the wind tunnel tests, static burning of the rocket engine, and flight tests at the White Sands range in New Mexico. A month later it became known that the second stage of the tests was not less successful. During the test series of the prototypes of the P44 missile, the HIMARS combat vehicle was used, for which these missiles are intended.

Modernization of machines

At the end of 2006, Lockheed Martin entered into a 1.8 million contract with the US Army to develop an improved cabin of combat vehicles. The modernization was mainly concerned with improving the safety level for the driver. According to the contract, the modernization work should have ended no later than September 30, 2010. The cabins received additional reservations, protecting against bullets, fragmentation shells and mines.

In March 2008, Lockheed Martin reported on the pilot launch of four guided missiles, which used a new universal fire control system. Before entering into a contract for an initial small-scale production, the companies in Texas and Arkansas had to build six prototypes for testing by the US Army.

In mid-2008, during the shooting from the rocket fire system HIMARS rockets GMLRS was set a record range of flight - 85 km. In November of the following year, Lockheed Martin reported that this figure was increased to 92 km in recent tests. Information on the use of guided missiles is not widely available. It is also not clear whether the task of launching a missile launcher at which each of them identifies its purpose was solved, or whether the use of such missiles implies conventional, non-volley shooting.

In March 2009, at the same testing ground in White Sands, tests were conducted, during which the HIMARS combat vehicle launched 2 guided anti-aircraft missiles called SLARAAM. During the exercises, operational tests were carried out on upgraded missiles and assembly of rail rails for missiles in a container. The latter was converted from a transport-launch container for ATACMS missiles. When the anti-aircraft guns were launched, the HIMARS fire control system was used, the software of which was modified somewhat. When the fire control system is finalized, and transport containers for SLAMRAAM missiles will be created, they will go into service. The US Armed Forces Command plans that in the future, HIMARS systems with anti-aircraft guided missiles will be deployed in a distributed network-centric air defense system.

Battle baptism of HIMARS

The multiple rocket launcher system, which we are examining today, managed to undergo combat baptism in the framework of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her last combat application took place on February 14, 2010. During the anti-terrorist operation of NATO in the Afghan town of Marge, two HIMARS missiles deviated from the target and, having got into the civilian building, killed 12 civilians.

Prospects

In January 2011, Lockheed Martin received a contract for the creation of 44 HIMARS systems, the total cost of which was just under $ 140 million. After completing this order, in 2013, the number of combat vehicles in service with the US Armed Forces was 375. In 2015, their number increased to 480 copies. Machines equipped with a system of salvo fire are supplied not only to the US Army but also to its allies - the UAE, Singapore and Jordan.

Technical characteristics of the HIMARS system

The multiple rocket system includes:

1. Combat car model M142.
2. Transport-charging machine.
3. Rocket projectiles (guided and unguided).
4. Means of fire control.

A car

The combat vehicle is a modernized version of the Stewart & Stevenson 5-ton truck with a 6x6 wheel arrangement. The diesel, 6.6-liter, 6-cylinder gas turbine engine Caterpillar develops 290 horsepower. The fuel tank has a volume of 56 gallons. The power reserve is 480 km. The engine works in tandem with automatic (you did not think it was an automatic) transmission on seven ranges. Suspension is parabolic with leaf springs. The ground clearance is 564 mm. The truck can storm water obstacles up to 900 mm deep. The crew consists of three people: a machinist, a gunner, a commander. In extreme conditions, one person can cope with the task.

Missile technology

A rocket launcher does not have a permanent set of guides. As guides, unified disposable TPCs are used from the machine of the MLRS system. The HIMARS launcher can fire any controlled and unguided missiles of the MLRS system, as well as rockets of the MGM-140 and MGM-164 models of the ATACMS complex. When the last tactical missile is launched, the fired transport and launch canisters are simply replaced with charged ones. Charging and sealing TPK occurs in the factory. Standard TPK weighs just over two tons and consists of 6 pipes made of fiberglass, which are fastened with an aluminum clip. To give the projectile with a shot of rotation, with a frequency of 10-12 rpm, there are spiral poles inside the guides. A tactical missile is launched directly from a disposable container. In such a missile, the missile can be stored for at least 10 years, while maintaining its combat readiness.

Recharge and fire control

The mechanism for recharging (PZM) is made in the form of a sliding console equipped with an electric winch. The mechanism can be controlled from the operator's cab or from the remote control. The second option is especially convenient, because it is clear. To charge the TPK into the cage of the MZ, the latter is placed in a horizontal position, and its cantilever extends. With the help of the crane, the container is lifted and installed into place. The winch is attached to the center of gravity of the container.

The fire control system, as well as the electronics and communication units, are performed in the same way as the older MLRS. However, to date, a modernized version of the machine has been developed, the control panel of which has advanced interfaces. By the word interfaces in this context mean operational blocks and elements.

Transport-loading machine

As for the transport-loading machine, it is a truck with a crane and a trailer. Like a combat vehicle, it has a wheel formula of 6x6. The crane is located at the rear of the truck. With its help, the operator reloads transport-launch containers. The trailer is needed for transportation of additional TPK.

A combat vehicle can be transported in a C-130 Hercules transport plane. After unloading from it, it is fully ready in no more than 10 minutes. Missile technology class HIMARS is very mobile, so after completing the combat mission, it quickly leaves the firing line. At the moment, the option of installing the artillery part of the HIMARS system for a modified chassis of a car with a carrying capacity of 7 tons is being developed.

A few more entertaining features:

1. Dimensions of the machine: length - 6949, width - 2400, height - 3180 mm.
2. The weight of a combat vehicle without shells: 13696 kg. With shells - about 16 000 kg. The chassis weighs 8273, and the module with the container - 2915 kg.
3. The maximum speed of a charged car is 89 km / h. Without ammunition, the speed is more by 5 km / h.
4. The maximum slope that the car can overcome is 60 degrees.
5. The angle of horizontal shelling is 280 degrees.

Russian analogues

Mobile reactive artillery is in Russia. It is represented by a family of MLRS "Tornado". There are two types - "Grad" and "Tornado". The caliber of the Grad system is 122 mm. It consists of a modernized combat vehicle, an automated control system and unguided projectiles. Let's put it this way, the younger version of the Tornado.

MLRS "Smerch" is more similar to the American system HIMARS. The caliber of shells is already 300 mm, and the maximum range of flight is 130 km. "Smerch" launches unguided and corrected missiles. In the future, it is possible to increase the flight range in the Tornado system. MLRS "Smerch" also consists of a modernized machine with an automatic guidance system.