Lockheed Martin teams with Rheinmetall for major missile plant
The American company Lockheed Martin has reached an agreement with the European giant Rheinmetall to build a missile and rocket factory capable of producing up to 20,000 missiles annually. Here’s where it will be located and what will be produced there.
The production of MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles is set to begin in 2026, with GMLRS and AGM-114 Hellfire rockets following in 2027. This indicates a significant push to ramp up production. It seems the Americans were seeking a major entity capable of quickly starting production, and the German company Rheinmetall fits that requirement.
The corporation has already demonstrated its ability to swiftly set up a factory, as shown by the medium-caliber ammunition plant and the artillery ammunition plant being built in Lithuania. Cooperation between the two corporations is not new, as both companies have been involved for years in the development of 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 10,000 GMLRS or AGM-114 Hellfire rockets clearly indicates the intent to supply the US Army and European users, particularly Poland and Ukraine.
The German factory will enable European countries to quickly replenish or establish strategic reserves of this vital weaponry, which currently lacks alternatives other than imports in the short term. Presently, only France may develop sovereign production capabilities for similar systems over the next decade.
AGM-140 ATACMS — A ballistic missile from the USA
Ballistic missiles pose a challenge to medium-range air defense systems, which are produced by only a few countries worldwide. In Russia, such systems include the S-300/400, while in Europe a combination of American Patriot batteries and European SAMP/T is utilized.
The number of these systems is limited, and each battery can only protect an area up to 25 miles from the launcher, significantly limiting secured sites. Furthermore, air defense systems can be overwhelmed by a massive attack of several or a dozen missiles arriving from different directions. Examples of such situations can be observed on the front in Ukraine and during Iran's missile attacks on Israel.
The American weapon in this category is the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile, developed in the 1990s. The first versions, M39, frequently used in Ukraine, had a range of 100 miles and were equipped with a cluster warhead containing 950 M74 APAM bomblets. These missiles were particularly used for attacking, among others, S-300/400 system batteries and enemy training grounds.
In subsequent years, versions with an increased range of 186 miles were developed by increasing the fuel reserve at the expense of the warhead size. In the M39A1 cluster version, the bomblet load decreased to 300 units, while strike accuracy increased due to the addition of a satellite navigation module.
Other versions like M48, M57, or M57E1 feature, for example, a heavy fragmentation warhead WAU-23/B weighing about 440 pounds. In the latest variant, it has a proximity fuse allowing for an airburst, maximizing destruction.
There is also an M39A2 variant containing 13 Brilliant Anti-armor Technology (BAT) sensors independently homing in on armored vehicles in the region. This is similar to the Bonus or SMArt 155 missiles seen in Ukraine.
GMLRS Rockets — The "long arms" of ground forces
The rockets collectively known as GMLRS are a family of 227 mm rockets with a range of up to about 50 miles. They are equipped with GPS and INS navigation modules, ensuring optimal conditions for accuracy within a few meters. Although Russian jamming systems have reduced their accuracy, the Ukrainians have responded by using a larger number of rockets in attacks.
Currently, two types are produced: the M31A1/A2 has a standard fragmentation warhead weighing 200 pounds, and the other is the M30A1/A2. It features an AW (Alternative Warhead) generating 182,000 tungsten fragments.
By programming explosions to occur 33 feet 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 generated damage, they leave no unexploded ordnance.
These are very useful for Ukrainians, as they have repeatedly eliminated crews of towed howitzers or destroyed air defense systems deep behind enemy lines.
