Lockheed Martin Secures $4.2 Billion Contract for GMLRS Munitions Production
Lockheed Martin has secured a $4.234 billion contract modification from the U.S. Army to continue production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions. The Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal will oversee work through October 20, 2027. The latest Lockheed Martin GMLRS contract is the newest increment in a multi-year GMLRS production program, bringing the total program value to roughly $13.3 billion. According to the Pentagon notice, only one bid was received on this sole-source award, and funding and locations will be specified with each delivery order.
This $4.2 billion defense deal supports a steep ramp-up in GMLRS munitions output. The Army even plans to reach a sustained rate of nearly 19,000 rockets per year by FY2028. Notably, much of the increase comes from higher quantities of specialized warhead variants. The Army expects the combined annual production of GMLRS Unitary Extended-Range and Alternate Warhead rockets to more than double (from roughly 2,074 to 5,268 per year), reflecting the increased cost and utility of these munitions. In practice, this award covers the same family of 227 mm precision rockets: the high-explosive Unitary round (M31A1/A2), the cluster-munition-free Alternative Warhead round (M30A1), and the new Extended-Range GMLRS (with a larger motor for ~150 km reach).
GMLRS rockets are GPS-guided surface-to-surface munitions fired from either tracked M270A2 MLRS or wheeled M142 HIMARS launchers. Each round contains inertial/GPS guidance that yields a circular error probable under 10 meters, allowing very precise strikes at ranges up to ~70 km (or about 150 km with the ER variant). This “shoot-and-scoot” capability (rapid firing and relocation) makes GMLRS a potent deep-strike asset. In the Army’s view, GMLRS provides persistent, responsive, all-weather precision fires for high-value targets like fortifications, logistics hubs, air defenses, and troop concentrations.
The contract comes amid surging international demand for GMLRS. Combat experience (especially in Ukraine) has underscored GMLRS’s strategic value. To meet both U.S. and allied requirements, Lockheed Martin is expanding its production lines in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Camden, Arkansas. The company stresses that GMLRS is in service with numerous NATO and partner armies, and this award includes foreign military sales volumes as well. The new contract solidifies GMLRS’s role as a cornerstone of modern long-range fires and ensures a ready stockpile of guided rockets for the U.S. Army and its allies.