Source: the Military Lovers
M142 HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Massive Fire
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army, mounted on a standard Army M1140 truck frame.
The HIMARS carries six rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS missile on the U.S. Army's new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) five-ton truck, and can launch the entire Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions (MFOM). HIMARS ammunition is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1, however it is only able to carry one pod rather than the standard two for the M270 and A1 variants.
The launcher is C-130 transportable. The chassis was produced by BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems (formerly Armor Holdings Aerospace and Defense Group Tactical Vehicle Systems Division), the OEM of the FMTV; however, since 2010, the M1140 has been produced by the Oshkosh Corporation by their Defense division. The rocket launching system is produced by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control. HIMARS is intended to engage and defeat artillery, air defence concentrations, trucks, and light armour and personnel carriers, as well as support troop and supply concentrations. The system launches its weapons and moves away from the area at high speed before enemy forces locate the launch site.
HIMARS rocket fire control system HIMARS retains the same self-loading and autonomous features installed on the MLRS. The improved launcher mechanical system (ILMS) upgrade and electronics of the improved fire control system (IFCS), which upgraded MLRS M270 launchers, are also fitted to HIMARS vehicles. HIMARS is capable of firing the long-range ATACMS (army tactical missile system) guided missile. The ATACMS family includes the Block I, Block IA and Block IA Unitary missiles. The Block I missile delivers 950 anti-personnel anti-material (AP/AM) baseball-sized M74 submunitions to ranges exceeding 165km. The Block IA missile range exceeds 300km by reducing the submunition payload to 300 bomblets and adding GPS guidance. The missile, with a single-burst warhead, was first deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March and April of 2003. The programme to develop the Block II missile with GPS and 13 BAT (brilliant anti-tank) submissiles and the Block IIA missile with six improved BAT submissiles was cancelled in February 2003. The high-mobility artillery rocket system carries a single six-pack of rockets on the army’s family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV) 6×6 all-wheel drive 5t truck supplied by Armor Holdings Tactical Vehicle Systems Division (now BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems) in Texas. The vehicle weighs approximately 24,000lb (10,886kg) compared to more than 44,000lb (19,958kg) for the MLRS M270 launcher.
HIMARS is transportable on the C-130 aircraft, allowing the system to be moved into areas previously inaccessible to the larger C-141 and C-5 aircraft required for the M270 launch vehicle. Crew: 3: Gunner, Driver, and Launcher Chief Weigh t: 16,200 kg (35,800 lb) Length : 7 m Width : 2.4 m Heigh t: 3.2 m Vehicle Range : 480 km Road Speed : 85 km/hour Armament : 6 × 227 mm M26, M30/M31 series rockets or 1 MGM-140 ATACMS missile Caliber : 227 mm (8.9 in) Traverse : 360 Rate of fire : 1, 2, 4, All 6 Effective firing range between 2 km (1.2 mi) and 300 km (190 mi) : - 45 km with ER-MLRS rocket - 70 km with the new extended range guided rocket GMLRS - 300 km with tactical missile Maximum firing range : -- 300 km (190 mi) Armor : light Operational range : -- 480 km (298 mi) Maximum speed : -- 85 km/h (52.8 mph) Accuracy : Guided Ammunition : 6x 227mm MFOM rocket or 1x ATACMS missile Chassis type : Wheeled chassis, 6x6 Engine : Caterpillar C7 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel Power output : 300 hp Transmission : Allison 3700 SP 7-speed automatic Fuel : 212 L Power to weight ratio : 18.5 hp/t Obstacle crossing : Wall : 0.6m : Trench : 1 m Gradient : 60 % Slope : 30 % Fording : 0.9 m Smoke system : No
