Lockheed Gets $512 Million Contract For HIMARS, GMLRS

Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] gained a $512 million contract to provide the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) — Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) to the Army and Marine Corps.

Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Camden, Ark., and Grand Prairie, Texas, and is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2010. Specific quantities of vehicles and rockets were not disclosed.

HIMARS can accommodate the entire family of MLRS munitions, including all variants of the Guided MLRS rocket and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles. Designed to enable troops to engage and defeat artillery, air defense concentrations, trucks, light armor and personnel carriers, as well as support troop and supply concentrations, HIMARS can move away from the area at high speed following missile launch, well before enemy forces are able to locate the launch site.

Because of its C-130 transportability, HIMARS can be deployed into areas previously inaccessible to heavier launchers and provides a force multiplier to the modular brigade. It also incorporates the self-loading, autonomous features that have made MLRS the premier rocket artillery system in the world, according to Lockheed.

HIMARS carries a single six-pack of MLRS rockets, or one ATACMS missile. Its fire control system, electronics and communications units are interchangeable with the existing MLRS M270A1 launcher, and the crew and training are the same. HIMARS units are currently deployed by the Army and Marine Corps.

Guided Unitary MLRS is the newest variant which leverages the GMLRS experience and investment to integrate a unitary warhead with a multi-mode fuze to expand the MLRS target set to include point targets within urban and complex environments.

Boeing Gains $49 Million Air Force Contract For Laser Program

The Air Force gave The Boeing Co. [BA] a $49 million contract to support laser development and laser vulnerability test programs.

Under the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, Boeing will support the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Directed Energy Directorate, in laser technologies for in-house laser development and laser vulnerability programs.

Boeing also will provide a comprehensive solution to laboratory operation and maintenance of laser facilities there.

This includes preliminary design, limited fabrication, installation, modification, management, operation maintenance, and documentation of laser devices and systems, as well as test planning, test performance, and data analysis of all laser devices and system testing.

Boeing Gains $73.4 Million Harpoon Block III Missile Contract From Navy

The Boeing Co. [BA] received a $73.7 million Navy contract to design and develop the Harpoon Block III missile.

The system design and development (SDD) contract will result in a kit upgrade program for existing Navy weapons that will return 800 enhanced surface- and air-launch Harpoon missiles and 50 ship-launch systems to inventory.

Jim Young, Jr., Boeing Harpoon Block III program manager, said that the weapon "will provide the warfighter with a capable, near-term solution to over-the-horizon, surface warfare threats."

Equipped with a new data-link system, Harpoon Block III will offer warfighters more control after the weapon is released, resulting in improved accuracy for littoral and open- ocean warfare.

The Block III upgrade also positions the missile for future spiral developments, including extended range and vertical launch capabilities.

Harpoon Block III adds in-flight target updates, positive terminal control and connectivity with future network architectures to a proven missile that already provides autonomous, all-weather, over-the-horizon capability.

The surface-launch version of Harpoon Block III will achieve initial operational capability (IOC) in early 2011 with IOC of the air-launch version scheduled for later that year. The next major program milestones will be the systems requirements and preliminary design reviews, both scheduled for this year.