Fact Sheet: High Mobility Artillery Rocket System

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) provides artillery forces with precision fire power, enhanced responsiveness, mobility, protection, and also networks soldiers and air and land weapon platforms, thus facilitating the delivery of information, and fires in the battlefield.

The key features of the HIMARS are:

Enhanced Fire Power
The HIMARS carries a single pod of six Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) rockets and is designed to launch the entire MLRS family of munitions. The Guided MLRS M31 Unitary rockets used are 227mm surface-to-surface inertial guided and Global Positioning System-aided weapons. Each rocket contains a single 200-pound class controlled fragmentation high explosive unitary warhead capable of providing lethal and precise fires. The HIMARS is able to strike targets as far as 70 km away.

Enhanced Responsiveness
The HIMARS requires less than 20 seconds to be prepared for firing and a full launcher load of six rockets can be fired within 45 seconds.

Enhanced Mobility
The HIMARS is powered by a 6.6-litre, six-cylinder turbo-charge diesel engine that delivers 330 horsepower, providing a top speed of 94km/h. This allows for rapid withdrawal after launching of munitions, enhancing crew and equipment survivability.

Enhanced Protection
The HIMARS is equipped with the Increased Crew Protection cabin, which is designed to protect the three-man operating crew against plume gases, rocket launch debris and small arms.

Enhanced Networking Capabilities
The HIMARS is equipped with the Battlefield Management System (BMS) which enables it to connect with the Artillery Headquarters and Strike Observer Mission Teams on the ground as well as other air and land platforms, such as infantry fighting vehicles, main battle tanks, attack helicopters and fighter aircraft. With enhanced situational awareness and transmission of key battlefield information provided by the BMS, the HIMARS can respond quickly to call-for-fires and deliver precision fires on enemy targets.

Specifications

More Resources

Commissioning of the HIMARS

Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the HIMARS Commissioning Ceremony