Lockheed Martin resumes production of TACMS missiles

CAMDEN, Ark., March 30 (UPI) -- Production of Lockheed Martin's Tactical Missile System has been started at a production line in Arkansas following a temporary suspension.

The TACMS, previously known as ATACMS, were previously produced at a company facility in Texas but in 2014 the company decided to consolidate all of its Precision Fires missile and rocket production to Camden, Ark.

"Restarting the TACMS production is excellent news for our customers seeking deep precision-fire support," said Ken Musculus, vice president - Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This production re-start will yield greater flexibility and significant cost-savings on a program with a rich history of reliability, affordability and mission success."

TACMS is a precision deep-strike system with readiness rates exceeding 98 percent since the program's initial fielding in 1990. It has a range of as much as 186 miles.

TACMS are packaged in an MLRS launch pod and is fired from the MLRS family of launchers. The system is the only long-range tactical surface-to-surface missile ever fired in combat by the U.S. Army.