Among the most competitive defense markets has become that of multiple missile and rocket launchers, as their performance in Ukraine has proven their effectiveness, especially guided missile systems. Especially in Europe, however, we already have the first “frictions” between the strongly promoted systems.
This is how the appearance of the Israeli PULS launcher, Elbit Systems, which in collaboration with the KNDS group has promoted it on the European market as EuroPULS, has caused a “commotion”. The system comes with a wide range of its own munitions, of many calibers, from 122 mm Accular rockets to large Predator Hawk missiles with a range of 300 km. And with prospective integration of Kongsberg JSF missiles for over 500 km strike, unmanned and so on. PULS thus has already achieved sales within Europe as it has been preferred by the Netherlands and Spain, while Germany also ordered 5 systems (not a certain volume) but with the possibility of significantly expanding this supply.
There began the friction with the competing MLRS/HIMARS system proposed in the same market by the partners Lockheed Martin and the German Rheinmetall, as the information had circulated that the PULS can also fire ammunition of the American system! Lockheed Martin officials were quick to clarify that this is not the case and that each system maintains its own range of ammunition. Of course, the issue is not technical, but mainly intellectual, since if the sharing of ammunition is allowed, it is clear that whoever offers the cheapest launcher will have a high chance of winning orders.
In fact, for their part, Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall released plans for a third version of the launch system, as GMARS, which combines the double launcher of the MLRS but with a Rheinmetall wheeled carrier. In Europe, however, MLRS customers are already France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Britain, Greece and Turkey with MLRS, while Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy have (or will soon have) HIMARS. So a big market, which the manufacturers are not willing to… cede to competitors.
And here we have a wide variety of munitions, from the new GMRLS (simple and long-range) guided rockets, the upcoming Precision Strike missile, and the JSF cruise, while France announced at this year’s Eurosatory the Thundart guided rocket, designed by MBDA France and Safran , of 227 mm, with a range of 150 km, which is intended for the French MLRS launchers. In fact, it is reported that the French are designing another missile with a range of 500 kilometers!
In the above, the South Korean K239 Chumnoo, which has been ordered by Poland, has entered a “wedge” and we may see it in a Romanian supply. And this with its own range of ammunition, of many types and calibers, from 130 to 600 millimeters (the last one is the KTSSM Block 2 ballistic missile with a range of over 300 kilometers.
In the field of multiple launchers, we will see in the coming years heaps of orders internationally, as they combine long ranges, increased accuracy and above all a wide variety of ammunition, greater than any other artillery system, with a significant range of capabilities, which will constantly expand, as they will be “loaded” ”, as it appears that a specialized projectile today is produced as an autonomous launch!
