HIMARS vs. MLRS: Which Rocket System Packs a Bigger Punch? – Part 3

Precision Strike Within 10m of Target at 50 miles range

The Ukrainian army’s counterattack also proved its performance. It was surprising enough to hit targets at a range of 43 to 50 miles within a radius of 10m. Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the U.S., analyzed, “If the Javelin missile was a symbolic weapon in the early stages of the Ukrainian war, the HIMARS is emerging as a symbolic weapon as we enter the latter half.”

HIMARS is reported to have driven Russian military bases in the rear of the front into terror. In particular, it is known to have played a decisive role in repelling Russian forces from Kherson city.

Moreover, it can also be transported and deployed by aircraft such as the C-130 transport aircraft. This speaks to its high mobility. The HIMARS was designed from the outset with air transport in mind, so it reduced weight and volume. The launcher has been reduced to half the size of the MLRS, and the chassis was improved to the Oshkosh 5-ton medium tactical vehicle (MTV·6X6). Thanks to this, two HIMARS can be flown by a C-130 transport aircraft.

It was initially designed to be a lightweight MLRS and to support infantry divisions with MLRS-like multiple rocket firepower. However, as the MLRS transformed from providing firepower support with unguided rockets to providing precise firepower support as a guided rocket, this was also applied to HIMARS when its usefulness was proven. By taking advantage of the mobility of being lightweight and wheeled compared to the MLRS, it became possible to quickly cool down and move after firing.

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) is an American multiple-launch rocket launcher. It was developed as a deterrent against the powerful armored forces of the Soviet Army during the height of the Cold War in the 1970s and was first deployed to the U.S. Army in 1983. It proved its power and effectiveness when used in the Gulf War in 1991. It was nicknamed “Steel Rain” by the Iraqi army. Production was halted in 2003, and the last delivery was to the Egyptian Army.

The MLRS, which was manufactured using the chassis of the M2 Bradley armored vehicle, can fire twelve 277mm rockets in one minute. Each missile can scatter up to 600 M77 anti-personnel munitions (penetration 102mm). It can neutralize not only enemy armored forces but also infantry and artillery forces. In the Gulf War, the MLRS, which poured “Steel Rain” on the Iraqi army and became a subject of terror, has a range that extends up to 186 miles depending on the type of ammunition used.

Recently, the Guided MLRS (GMLRS), which can precisely strike long-range targets over 62 miles without worrying about unexploded ordnance and boasts powerful destructive power with a warhead and guidance device attached, has received attention. This is possible because the new 200-pound (90kg) warhead, which uses GPS and Inertial Measurement Navigation (IMN) technology, can destroy enemy targets through the “area effect.”

The GMLRS, in particular, is a type of ground-to-ground precision strike rocket, boasting an accuracy rate of over 98%. It can precisely strike targets over 93 miles away with a 90kg warhead.

Because of this power, the United States is known to have refused Ukraine’s persistent request for support.

The HIMARS, which can launch in all directions, can operate a variety of ammunition types, including rockets, Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) tactical ground-to-ground missiles, and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). If ATACMS and PrSM are used, targets 80 miles and 311 miles away can be precisely struck.

This is a concern for the United States. There is a risk that Ukraine could strike Russian territory. If the situation becomes unfavorable, Ukraine could change its strategies and attack Russian territory with the long-range rocket system provided by the United States, boasting such powerful offensive power that it cannot rule out the possibility.

Russia, who knows this well, is also constantly warning that it will have to go to nuclear war if the United States supports MLRS or HIMARS to Ukraine for the same reason.

Domestic issues in the United States are also another source of trouble. There are concerns that if the United States supports these advanced long-range rockets to Ukraine, the U.S. military’s wartime readiness could be compromised.

The warning from leading U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff members that a lack of the MLRS and HIMARS, critical tactical forces, could lead to disaster in case of a possible armed conflict with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea cannot be ignored. The White House reportedly did not accept Ukraine’s request, citing concerns about escalation and a gap in crucial tactical forces.

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To read Part 2…