Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall partner for new missile plant
The American corporation Lockheed Martin has reached an agreement with the European giant Rheinmetall to build a factory for ballistic missiles and rockets, capable of producing up to 20,000 missiles annually. Here is where it will be built and what will be produced inside.
The production of MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles is planned to begin in 2026, with rockets like the GMLRS or AGM-114 Hellfire following in 2027, indicating a significant sense of urgency. It appears the Americans were seeking a large entity capable of swiftly starting production, and this group includes the German company Rheinmetall.
The corporation has already demonstrated its ability to rapidly establish a factory, as seen with the medium-calibre ammunition or the artillery ammunition plant currently under construction in Lithuania. Their collaboration with Lockheed Martin is not new, as both companies have been involved for years in developing the GMARS system, which is considered a successor to the MARS II launcher.
The production volume of 10,000 MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles and another 10,000 GMLRS or AGM-114 Hellfire rockets clearly indicates that the output is intended for the US Army and European users of these systems, with particular reference to Poland and Ukraine.
The German factory will enable European nations to swiftly replenish or establish their strategic reserves of this crucial weapon, which currently lacks alternatives other than short-term imports. At present, only France might develop sovereign capabilities for producing similar systems over the next decade.
AGM-140 ATACMS — Ballistic missile from the USA
Ballistic missiles pose a challenge to medium-range anti-aircraft defence systems, which are produced by only a few countries worldwide. In Russia, systems like the S-300/400 exist, while in Europe a combination of American Patriot batteries and European SAMP/T is used.
However, the number of these systems is limited, and each battery can only protect an area within a radius of about 25 miles from the launcher, significantly restricting the number of secured sites. Additionally, anti-aircraft systems can be overwhelmed by a massive attack of several or a dozen missiles approaching from different directions, as observed on the front in Ukraine and during Iranian rocket attacks on Israel.
The American weapon in this category is the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile, developed in the 1990s. The first versions, M39, used multiple times in Ukraine, had a range of 103 miles and were equipped with a cluster warhead containing 950 M74 APAM bomblets. Such missiles were particularly used to attack targets like S-300/400 system batteries and adversary training grounds.
In subsequent years, versions with an increased range of up to 186 miles were developed by increasing fuel reserves at the expense of warhead size. In the case of the M39A1 cluster version, the number of bomblets decreased to 300, but precision was enhanced due to the addition of a satellite navigation module.
Other versions, like the M48, M57, or M57E1, include, for example, the WAU-23/B high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing about 441 pounds. The latest variant features a proximity fuze enabling air bursts to maximise destruction.
There is also the M39A2 variant containing 13 Bomblets of Brilliant Anti-armor Technology (BAT), which are guided independently onto enemy armoured vehicles in the area. This is a similar solution to the Bonus or SMArt 155 missiles seen in Ukraine.
GMLRS Rockets — The "long arms" of ground forces
Rockets collectively known as GMLRS form a family of 227 mm calibre rockets with a range of about 50 miles, equipped with GPS and INS navigation modules to ensure optimal precision to within a few meters. Although Russian jamming systems have reduced their precision, Ukrainians have responded by using more rockets in their attacks.
Currently, two types are being produced, with M31A1/A2 serving as the variant with a standard 200-pound high-explosive fragmentation warhead, while the other is the M30A1/A2. It contains an AW (Alternative Warhead), which generates 182,000 tungsten fragments.
By setting the explosion at a height of 10 metres above the ground, these missiles provide an impact effect over a large area comparable to cluster munitions. However, due to the purely kinetic nature of the damage generated, they do not leave unexploded ordnance.
These missiles have proved very useful for Ukrainians, having repeatedly eliminated towed howitzer crews and destroyed anti-aircraft defence systems deep in enemy rear positions.
