The American M270 MLRS or Multiple Launch Rocket System is one of the most powerful
rocket systems in NATO's arsenal. Adopted by the US and Western Europe in the 1980s,
it was developed to counter the overwhelming superiority of Soviet rocket launchers.
Armed with 12 lethal rockets with a range of over 40 kilometers that can deliver over 8,000
M77 munitions in a combat zone in less than 60 seconds, the powerful all-terrain armored platform
based on the M2 Bradley vehicle has seen combat in many different wars.
This sight might have been the last thing enemy combatants saw and heard during the Iraq War
before a rain of fire lit up the daytime sky…
Multiple Launch Rocket System
During the last decade of the Cold War, the Soviet Union fielded more rocket artillery
systems than all the United States and NATO forces combined. This was not unexpected, as the Soviets
were no strangers to rocket artillery. Going back to World War 2, the Stalin's
Organs rocket launchers had become a standard Red Army asset to overwhelm the enemy. And multiple
rocket launchers such as the BM21 had left a significant impression during the following years.
In contrast, the United States military decided to focus on more powerful cannon artillery
to preserve ammunition and be more accurate when targeting a hostile area.
Then, in 1975, the US and NATO decided that it was time to develop an effective rocket system that
could be pitched toe to toe against the multiple Soviet MRLs, and the Army issued a request to
develop a General Support Rocket System or GSRS. The objective was to produce an effective rocket
system that could be used to provide support fire for ground forces, engage hostile air
defenses, and conduct counterbattery fire. West Germany, France, the United Kingdom,
and Italy were already working on a similar system, and they all cooperated with the US.
Meanwhile, several companies were evaluated,
but only Boeing Aerospace and Vought Corporation signed a contract to develop
multiple prototypes and test them at the White Sands missile range in New Mexico.
In 1978, the Army Missile Research and Development Command changed the program’s
name to Multiple Launch Rocket System or MLRS to produce the vehicle in the US and Europe.
Vought’s prototype was awarded the production contract two years later,
and all the countries that participated became part of the system’s official joint production.
Using The Bradley
The new rocket system was first delivered to the US Army and its partners in Europe in 1983.
Once introduced, it became known as the M270 MLRS because it used the M270 launcher platform,
a derivative of the American M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle or IFV.
The decision to develop the system using Bradley’s platform obeyed a Cold War doctrine based on
a possible Soviet invasion of Western Europe. To successfully fight off the enemy, the M270
vehicle had to be highly mobile to move through the ambiance and reach difficult locations, strike
fast, and then hide from the enemy to reload before launching another coordinated attack.
This shoot-and-scoot tactic was meant to avoid direct Soviet counterbattery fire,
and the Bradley IFV’s chassis was highly suitable for this way of fighting,
as it was also developed to fend off the Soviets if Europe was ever invaded.
In addition, the Bradley had excellent all-terrain and all-weather performance
because it had to be able to carry a squad of six infantrymen anywhere on the battlefield.
All-Powerful
The M270 MLRS has several components, beginning with a launcher mounted on a lengthened M2 Bradley
chassis known as the M993 Carrier Vehicle that forms the Multiple Launch Rocket System.
Meanwhile, the Self-Propelled Loader/Launcher is mounted on the Bradley chassis and comprises
the M269 Loader Launcher Module and the electronic Fire Control System.
Following its cross-terrain capability, the M270 chassis is powered by an eight-cylinder
Cummins VTA-903 diesel engine with a gas-turbine output of over 600 horsepower.
Coupled with an electronically controlled Cross-drive turbo transmission system,
the M270 can achieve speeds of up to 40 miles per hour with an estimated operational range
of 400 miles. And its all-terrain running gear comprises six road wheels on each side,
with two track return rollers. Overall, the M270 vehicle weighs over
61,700 pounds and has a length of 23 feet, a height of 8.5 feet, and a width of 9.8 feet.
It also features an armored cab at the front of the hull, where the crew of three,
a driver, gunner, and section chief, can safely drive and fire the ordnance of the vehicle.
Aluminum alloy armor protects the crew from small arms fire and fragments from projectiles and,
like the Bradley, the entire cabin is shielded from nuclear-biological chemicals
to increase combat performance in contaminated sectors.
The crew also has access to night vision equipment for night operations
to always be ready under pitch-black scenarios or in ambiances with low light.
Finally, the M270 can be easily transported by air
aboard specific aircraft such as the C5 transporter and train.
Rocket System Features The M270’s rocket launcher
is basically 12 rockets divided into two six-rocket pods, and the launcher system
mounted on the chassis is highly mobile, able to quickly turn and fire from the desired direction.
The M270 can fire surface-to-surface rockets and the Army’s ATACMS or tactical missile system,
while the integrated fire control computer allows the launcher to load and aim autonomously.
Impressively, the system can fire 12 rockets in less than a minute,
and the ATACMS system also allows it to fire the Block 1 and Block A1 missiles.
A standard missile fired by the M270 has a range of over 30 kilometers
and carries over 640 lethal M77 munitions distributed mid-air above the desired area.
This means that the M270 can deliver over 8,000 munitions in less than a minute
to ensure that the combat zone is decimated during the barrage.
Also, the rockets can be fired individually or in waves of two. Thanks to the integrated computer,
accuracy is always on point to ensure that every rocket wave impacts in the same direction.
Other rockets employed by the system include the AT2M rocket,
which dispenses anti-tank mines; the extended range rocket,
which has a range of over 45 kilometers; and the reduced-range practice rocket.
M270 Combat Tours
The M270 rocket system was deployed with the US Army during Operation Desert Shield
in September of 1990, with the vehicles employed by the Airborne Corps Artillery
to defend Saudi Arabia from hostile Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, the M270s were the first American units
to fire their devastating barrages into Iraq soil during Operation Desert Storm.
Once the conflict began, the vehicles were praised by soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division and the
82nd and 101st Airborne divisions for providing highly accurate fire when dealing with the enemy.
Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the M270s were once again sent to the Middle East
to strike zones full of hostile forces, supply depots, and barracks. And the British, French,
and Germans also deployed their own M270s during military operations in Afghanistan.
The M270s were not retired from the conflict until the troops’ withdrawal
in 2021. Upgrades
The basic M270 MLRS has given way to numerous variants with specific characteristics
according to the army employing them. Many of the differences include upgraded fire control systems
and the introduction of more powerful missiles.
Many NATO allies and friendly nations have adopted the M270 as part of their mobile artillery
systems, and besides Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, other countries such as Japan,
Israel, Turkey, Denmark, and Norway also use this powerful multiple rocket launcher system.
While the M270 is still widely used around the world, Lockheed Martin has partnered
with Red River Army Depot to overhaul and upgrade the system with the M20A2 version.
The model will feature a new engine, a zero-time launcher, and a more resistant
armored cabin. More importantly, the M20A2 will include a new common fire control system
that will make it compatible with the unannounced MLRS family of munitions or MFOM,
taking the technology further into the future.
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