U.S. Army tests robotic rocket launcher

The U.S. Army is working to test a robotic version of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.

The U.S. Army’s Long Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team (CFT) has announced that in preparation for this summer’s Surrogate Semi-Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher live-fire demonstration at Fort Sill, members of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center and Ground Vehicle Systems Center teamed with the Long Range Precision Fires CFT to conduct a system integration event and Soldier Touchpoint to prove out the technology and gain feedback on the system design and performance.

Long Range Precision Fires CFT also shared a short video showing the unique capabilities of its autonomous version of the HIMARS rocket launcher.

The Facebook post, which includes a video of a robotic rocket launcher, said that Brig. Gen. Rafferty, director of the LRPF CFT, remotely drove the HIMARS onto the firing point for a simulated fire mission.

This new technology is capable of making almost every military vehicle, including a rocket launcher, an optionally-manned vehicle.

As to the HIMARS, it is a full-spectrum, combat-proven, all-weather, 24/7, lethal and responsive, wheeled precision strike weapons system.

HIMARS is a C-130 air transportable wheeled launcher mounted on a 5-ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles XM1140A1 truck chassis organic/assigned to Field Artillery Brigades. The current HIMARS includes an increased crew protection armored cab. HIMARS supports an expeditionary, lethal, survivable and tactically mobile force. It can launch all Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Family of Munitions rockets and missiles. The HIMARS carries one launch pod containing either six Guided MLRS (GMLRS)/MLRS rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile.