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12/04/2007
'60km sniper' for British troops
Britain's ground forces in Afghanistan are to receive a state-of-the-art precision land attack rocket, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) has twice the range of existing artillery systems.
It has been declared fit for deployment with troops in Afghanistan later this year, following a series of successful trials.
Nicknamed the "60km sniper" by trials troops, the Global Positioning System (GPS) guided rockets contain the latest advanced computer technology giving them unsurpassed accuracy out to a range of over 60 kilometres.
Armed with a 200lb high explosive warhead, the improved missile will mean more targets can be engaged with a lower risk of collateral damage and smaller logistical burden.
The GMLRS rocket has been developed by a five-nation collaboration of the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the US.
Defence Minister Lord Drayson said: "This new all-weather rocket gives us huge improvements in range and accuracy over its predecessor, meaning it will take significantly fewer rockets to defeat our targets while reducing the risk of collateral damage.
"The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System will deliver a powerful 200 pound warhead to its destination with pin-point accuracy, giving the Royal Artillery its first ever long range precision rocket. It is a prime example of our commitment and determination to continually improve the support we deliver to the front line."
The delivery of these systems is the first element in an incremental programme worth over £250 million which will see the UK take delivery of several thousand rockets by the end of the decade.
(KMcA/JM)
The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) has twice the range of existing artillery systems.
It has been declared fit for deployment with troops in Afghanistan later this year, following a series of successful trials.
Nicknamed the "60km sniper" by trials troops, the Global Positioning System (GPS) guided rockets contain the latest advanced computer technology giving them unsurpassed accuracy out to a range of over 60 kilometres.
Armed with a 200lb high explosive warhead, the improved missile will mean more targets can be engaged with a lower risk of collateral damage and smaller logistical burden.
The GMLRS rocket has been developed by a five-nation collaboration of the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the US.
Defence Minister Lord Drayson said: "This new all-weather rocket gives us huge improvements in range and accuracy over its predecessor, meaning it will take significantly fewer rockets to defeat our targets while reducing the risk of collateral damage.
"The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System will deliver a powerful 200 pound warhead to its destination with pin-point accuracy, giving the Royal Artillery its first ever long range precision rocket. It is a prime example of our commitment and determination to continually improve the support we deliver to the front line."
The delivery of these systems is the first element in an incremental programme worth over £250 million which will see the UK take delivery of several thousand rockets by the end of the decade.
(KMcA/JM)
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