GMARS vs HIMARS: The USA and Germany have tested a new super-powerful MLRS with dual ammunition

 

The American-German project of the future, the GMARS (Global Mobile Artillery Rocket System) multiple launch rocket System, has successfully completed its first combat launches, which are close to real combat conditions. The tests took place at the famous White Sands test site in New Mexico, where the system launched two GMLRS medium-range guided missiles. This milestone was an important milestone: it confirmed the combat readiness, accuracy and reliability of the new artillery platform developed jointly by Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall.

GMARS is not just a copy, but a direct competitor and an improved version of HIMARS, which has already proven itself in its area. The main advantage is the Rheinmetall HX reinforced 8x8 chassis, capable of withstanding up to 40 tons. Thanks to this, GMARS can carry two launch modules instead of one, which doubles the ammunition and dramatically increases firepower in one trip.

What can trigger GMARS?  

— 12 GMLRS missiles (range up to 150 km),

— 4 tactical PrSM missiles (up to 400 km),

— or 2 ATACMS ballistic missiles (up to 310 km).  

This versatility makes the system ideal for NATO: it is compatible with the main types of munitions used by the United States and its allies, which simplifies logistics and makes it easy to integrate GMARS into joint operations.

But the innovations don't stop there. GMARS is already being considered as a platform for future cruise missiles, including a modified ground—based version of the JASSM, which will turn it into a true multi-purpose strike system. Its high mobility, survivability and precision make it ideal for tasks:  

— striking deep into the defense,

— air defense suppression,  

— and counter-battery warfare.

The exact cost has not yet been disclosed, but analysts estimate it at $ 15 million — more expensive than HIMARS, but with much greater capabilities. Serial production and export are in the near future. This means that a new artillery "destruction machine" may appear on the battlefields of the future, which will change the balance of power.

Germany and the USA in action: the new GMARS missile system is undergoing fire tests in the White Sands Desert

GMARS

Serious news from the high—tech weapons front: the joint project of two defense giants — German Rheinmetall and American Lockheed Martin - is entering the home stretch. Their brainchild, the Global Mobile Artillery Missile System (GMARS), is no longer just a mock-up on display, but a real combat platform that is currently undergoing rigorous testing at the legendary White Sands training ground in New Mexico, USA.

It should be recalled that GMARS was publicly presented to the world for the first time at the largest Eurosatory 2024 arms exhibition in Paris. Then the system made a splash: compact but powerful, it combines mobility, precision and high speed of deployment. Now, just a few months after the presentation, engineers and the military are already launching rockets in the desert — and this means that the project has moved from the "this will be cool" stage to the "this is already working" stage.

GMARS is a modular system that can be installed on almost any suitable truck or armored personnel carrier. It is capable of launching both rockets and precision-guided missiles, including those developed by Lockheed Martin, for example, systems based on GMLRS (guided missiles). This makes GMARS versatile: from infantry support to the destruction of enemy fortifications hundreds of kilometers away.

What is especially important is that the system was created taking into account modern realities. In an environment where troops must move quickly to avoid becoming a target for enemy drones and reconnaissance, GMARS allows you to "shoot and drive away." It can be deployed in a matter of minutes, strike and disappear from the position, which dramatically increases the survival rate of the calculation.

The White Sands trials are not just a demonstration of capabilities. Everything is checked there: the accuracy of the hit, the reliability of the system in extreme temperatures, the rate of reloading, resistance to vibrations and dust, as well as compatibility with various types of ammunition. Considering that the White Sands test site is a historic place where missiles have been tested since the Second World War, testing there is a sign of high confidence and seriousness of the project.

So far, neither Rheinmetall nor Lockheed Martin have disclosed all the technical details, but they hint that GMARS is already attracting the interest of several NATO countries. Deliveries are possible both to Europe and to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, where the demand for modern, but at the same time mobile and inexpensive to maintain weapons systems is growing.

In fact, GMARS is the answer to the challenges of modern warfare: fast, accurate, scalable and compatible with existing systems. And if the tests are successful, we may see this system in service with new armies in the next couple of years.