1:48 Ling-Temco-Vought M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System)21st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army 1991 Gulf War
On the evening of February 13, 1991, on an arid patch of land where the borders of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait meet, a group of 10 armored vehicles positioned itself along a two-mile stretch of desert.
Dubbed Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), the mobile rocket launchers were the newest weapons in the U.S. Army’s arsenal, a sophisticated artillery gun designed to fire more warheads faster and farther than any of its predecessors.
Their mission was to strike enemy defensive positions from a distance at a furious pace, effectively fragmenting the Iraqi army into smaller units, which could then be engaged by U.S. ground forces.
When the go sign was given that evening, signaling the first official combat launch of the M270 MLRS, all doubts were instantly vanquished.
The battery, firing in concert as a single unit, launched more than 100 rockets in a single minute, pummeling targets in southern Iraq with unprecedented accuracy.
In the coming days, relentless attacks from MLRS vehicles would demoralize Iraqi soldiers on the ground, ushering in a quick and decisive victory for U.S. forces in the Gulf.
Once unleashed, Iraqi soldiers quickly dubbed the MLRS missiles “steel rain.” The system’s accuracy led many Iraqi artillery officers to stay in their bunkers, making it easier for U.S. ground forces to slip in and capture enemy positions.
The 21st Field Artillery Regiment with their M270s served in Operation Desert Storm as the 1st Cavalry Division's general support MLRS battery.
MLRS
A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volley gun. Rockets are self-propelled in flight and have different capabilities than conventional artillery shells, such as longer effective range, lower recoil, typically considerably higher payload than a similarly sized gun artillery platform, or even carrying multiple warheads.
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS) is an American-developed armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher.
The U.S. Army variant of the MLRS vehicle is based on the chassis of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The first M270s were delivered in 1983. The MLRS were subsequently adopted by several NATO countries and other countries. The MLRS first saw service with the United States in the 1991 Gulf War. The MLRS has been upgraded to fire guided missiles, and has been used by Ukraine in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The MLRS launcher unit comprises an M270 launcher loaded with 12 rockets, packaged in two six-rocket pods. The launcher, which is mounted on a stretched Bradley chassis, is a highly automated self-loading and self-aiming system. It contains a fire control computer that integrates the vehicle and rocket launching operations. Without leaving the cab, the crew of three (driver, gunner and section chief) can fire up to twelve MLRS rockets in less than 60 seconds.
MLRS employs the "shoot and scoot" principle to limit vulnerability to counter-battery fire. In addition to the M77 dual purpose conventional submunition equipped with 644 high explosive grenades for anti-personnel and light vehicle engagements, the system can deliver the West German-developed AT2 scatterable mine warhead and has the potential for delivering other warheads.
A growth program is under way to add the extended range MLRS (ER-MLRS), which will increase the current range of the basic rocket from 31.8 kilometers (km) to a new range of approximately 50 km. The Guided MLRS (GMLRS), an additional combat support munition, is a modification to further enhance the range and accuracy of the ER-MLRS. The M270 launcher accommodates the MLRS Family of Munitions (MFOM), including the Army Tactical Missile System (Army TACMS). MLRS is co-produced by the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.
Specifications
Designer: Ling-Temco-Vought
Designed: 1977
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin, Diehl BGT Defence, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Aérospatiale-Matra
Produced: 1980–2003
Variants: M270, M270A1, M270A2, MARS II, LRU, MLRS-I
Mass: 52,990 lb (24,040 kg) (combat loaded w/ 12 rockets)
Length: 274.5 in (6.97 m)
Width: 117 in (3.0 m)
Height: 102 in (2.59 m) (launcher stowed)
Crew: 3
Caliber: 227 mm (8.9 in)
Effective firing range
M26: 32 km (19.9 mi)
M26A1/A2: 45 km (28.0 mi)
M30/31: 92 km (57.2 mi)
Maximum firing range
ATACMS: 165 or 300 km (103 or 186 mi)
Armor: 5083 aluminum hull, 7039 aluminum cab
Main Armament:
12 × MLRS or
2 × ATACMS
or 4 x PrSM
Engine: Cummins VTA-903 diesel engine 500 hp (373 kW) at 2600 rpm (M270), 600 hp (447 kW) (M270A1)
Power/weight: 18.9 hp/ST (15.5 kW/t) (M270)
Suspension: Torsion bar
Operational Range: 300 mi (483 km)
Maximum speed: 40 mph (64.4 km/h)