Lockheed wins $214 million contract to upgrade M270

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has won a $214 million contract for the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System, according to an April 27 Army announcement.

Lockheed will restore 40 decommissioned M270A0 vehicles and upgrade them to the A2 variant under the contract, according to a company statement.

This follows contracts in 2019 and 2020, all three of which will upgrade 134 of the decommissioned vehicles to the A2 variant, according to Lockheed. The Army plans for a total of 160 of the A0 vehicles to be upgraded to A2.

"The complete restoration and upgrade will return the system to a zero-time condition and ensure the M270-series launcher remains highly effective and reliable to serve our Army customer through 2050," Gaylia Campbell, vice president of precision fires and combat maneuver systems for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in the company's statement.

The upgraded vehicles will have new, 600-horsepower engines, improved armored cabs and a new fire-control system that will work with future precision fires, Lockheed announced. The improved cabs include more interior space and "energy-absorbing seats" that provide better protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.

The MLRS is a tracked rocket launcher that fires the Guided MLRS rockets and the Army Tactical Missile System. It will also be compatible with the Extended Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile, both of which are currently under development.