Lockheed Martin receives MLRS rocket contract

June 16 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control has received a $472 million contract for the production of Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

The contract falls under foreign military sales and will deliver rockets to Finland, France, Germany and Singapore. The order includes 2,868 alternative warhead rockets, 648 unitary warhead rockets and 370 pods of reduced-range low-cost practice rockets. The contract also includes integrated support and logistics.

Work will be conducted in Grand Prairie, Texas, and has an expected completion date of July 31, 2019. The bid was solicited on the internet with one received. Fiscal 2017 funds of $172 million were obligated at the time of the award.

The M270 MLRS is a tracked long-range rocket artillery system. It can carry up to 12 rockets at a time in a variety of configurations, including submunition-dispensing rockets and I nitary warheads. Alternatively, it can moungt two Army Tactical Missile System battlefield guided missiles that have a range of nearly 200 miles.

The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket system alternative warhead rocket is designed to achieve the same area effects of submunitions without the danger of unexploded bomblets that can harm civilians. Submunition or cluster munitions are banned in many countries by international treaty.

The unitary warhead rocket features a guidance system and a penetrating warhead designed for precision strikes. It allows the MLRS to strike single point targets rather than the wide-area suppression fire it was originally designed for.