Lance-roquette unitaire - LRU
The Unitary Rocket Launcher (LRU) was developed by the United States on a BRADLEY M 270 tracked chassis. Equipped with a 500 horsepower power unit and built in Europe by France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the italy, the LRU equips a ground-to-ground artillery regiment. The LRU is used for "strategic targets",notes the officer. In the artillery, this is called deep fire. Above all, its precision makes it possible to limit collateral damage. Depending on the targets, the LRU crew can also adapt the triggering of the rockets: on impact, delayed, or just before touching the ground. If it is necessary to drill a bunker, we retain for example the first option. The impact will allow the rocket to pierce the wall and explode inside the structure, causing more damage.
Adapted to the general context of current and future engagements, the LRU is called upon to be engaged not only in "coercion of force" conflicts, but also in a general framework of "control of violence", particularly with precision ammunition at collateral effects reduced to a minimum without degrading their effectiveness (as in Mali). The explosive-charged guided rocket, capable of concentrating its effectiveness on a small area, will make it possible to treat: slightly or moderately hardened targets, over a large or very restricted surface, in particular in an urban environment and on obstructed terrain; targets sheltered under lightly or moderately hardened infrastructures; medium to small-sized infrastructure.
To increase its terminal efficiency, the LRU weapon system has a high level of precision allowing the number of ammunition to be limited, but also allowing a gradation of the effects by several modes of triggering its warhead. It is part of the digitized fire command and control system for ATLAS artillery means.
Given that France has signed the Oslo Convention, which henceforth prohibits it from using cluster munitions, it was necessary to withdraw the M26 rockets from service and replace them with unitary M31 explosive-charged rockets. For this, it was necessary to transform the multiple rocket launchers (LRM) of the 1st Artillery Regiment (RA) into Unitary Rocket Launchers (LRU). Hence the long-awaited order in 2011 of 13 copies via the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), the German counterpart of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).
The first LRUs were delivered to the 1st RA by the end of 2014, ie slightly later than initially planned. The DGA recalls that the contract had been entrusted to Krauss Maffei Wegmann, placed "at the head of a Franco-German industrial assembly including Thales, Airbus Defense and Space and Sagem (Safran group)".
The LRU was developed from an American tracked chassis of the Bradley M270 type. It is able to fire M31 rockets up to 70 km away, all with very high accuracy and angle of impact, which makes it possible to carry out operations in urban environments or on "impeded" terrain.
In operation, the LRU is projected into the field autonomously, with its three soldiers: the pilot; the console operator, who handles communication, transmission and firing; and the head of the room. Its autonomy of 500 km gives it a large radius of action. It sinks, conceals itself, then positions itself at the firing point, when its target is specified. For shooting, the shutters of the tank are closed, the pressurized cabin and the suspensions of the vehicles are blocked; it does not move at all, even when the rocket launches.
According to the Army, the "guided rocket with explosive charge (GMLRS-U called M-31, designed by Lockheed Martin), capable of concentrating its effectiveness on a small area, will make it possible to treat targets, slightly or moderately hardened, over a large or very restricted surface, in particular in an urban environment and on obstructed terrain, targets sheltered under lightly or moderately hardened infrastructures and medium to small-sized infrastructures”.
Airbus Defense & Space completed a technical-operational study (ETO) concerning the Future artillery system, which will replace the LRUs by 2025. According to the specifications given by the DGA, the latter should have a “range greater than or equal to 70 km (70 km, 100 km or even 150 km)” and be able to be adapted to “naval platforms”.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
