Lockheed Martin Receives First-Ever Contractor Logistics Support Contract from U.S. Marines for HIMARS
DALLAS, TX, June 27th, 2002 -- Lockheed Martin has received a contract from the United States Marine Corps for Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher. This represents the first CLS contract Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has ever signed with the Marine Corps. Under the $1.4 million contract, Lockheed Martin will provide spares, supply and maintenance services in support of the Marine Corps' HIMARS launchers. During the Operating Forces evaluation period, the Marine Corps anticipates CLS success and lessons learned to aid refinement of the USMC HIMARS maintenance concept.
"Lockheed Martin will be the Virtual Prime Vendor on this contract," said Ron Abbott, vice president - Fire Support. "We will be furnishing and coordinating select personnel, as well as providing maintenance and supply support, repair parts, test equipment, and management necessary to maintain operation and performance requirements of the Marine Corps HIMARS launchers. These things are important as we help integrate HIMARS into the Corps. The Army has a long history with MLRS, but the system is relatively new to the Marines."
This CLS effort includes HIMARS launcher field support for Training and Operational Assessment (OA), from initial delivery of the first two HIMARS launchers in fourth quarter FY'02 at Fort Sill, Okla., through follow-on option years to FY'07. Support of an additional two launchers will be provided beginning in the fourth quarter FY'04.
Lockheed Martin developed and fabricated four operational HIMARS prototypes as part of the Army's Rapid Force Projection Initiative Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration contract, which was awarded to the company in March 1996. Three of the wheeled vehicles (a platoon) are undergoing user evaluation at the Army's XVIIIth Airborne Corps Artillery. Missiles and Fire Control is maintaining the fourth vehicle for testing and evaluation.
The HIMARS program entered the EMD phase in December 1999. In this phase of the program, six HIMARS launchers will be built for the U.S. Army and two for the U.S. Marine Corps. These launchers will be used for engineering and development testing.
HIMARS is a C-130 transportable, wheeled, indirect fire, rocket/missile system capable of firing all rockets and missiles in the current and future MLRS Family of Munitions (MFOM). HIMARS will provide 24-hour, all-weather, ground-based responsive indirect fires to the current and transformation force. The system is designed to provide high-volumes, as well as precision lethal fires in support of maneuver forces. The system will extend the range of support provided to the warfighter.
The HIMARS fire control system, electronics and communications units are interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1 launcher, and the crew and training are the same. Because of its size, HIMARS can be deployed into areas previously inaccessible to the larger aircraft required to transport the standard MLRS launcher. It also retains the self-loading, autonomous features that have made MLRS the premier rocket artillery system in the world.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control develops, manufactures and integrates world-class air defense, fire support, strike weapon, naval munition, combat vision, anti-armor and advanced product solutions and systems for U.S. and international armed forces.
Craig Vanbebber, 972-603-1615
e-mail craig.vanbebber@lmco.com
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