New Weapon in the Global War on Terror

Army News Service ^ | 23 September 2005 | By Sgt. Michael J. Carden and Pfc. Matthew Clifton

[Skibert]

BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Sept. 23, 2005) — The newest addition to the Army’s artillery arsenal was successfully fired this month during Operation Restoring Rights in Tal Afar, Iraq, and Operation Sayaid in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province.

The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System destroyed two insurgent strongholds from a distance of more than 50 kilometers away. Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment fired eight guided rockets in Tal Afar Sept. 9 and 10, killing 48 insurgents, said Maj. Jeremy McGuire, deputy of operations, Force Field Artillery, Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

Battery A, 3-13 FAR fired another six rockets Sept. 11, destroying the Mish’al Bridge and preventing its use for insurgent forces in the Al Anbar province in Western Iraq, McGuire added.

[MJY1288]

newa = news :-)

[BIGLOOK]

Just another training exercise.....

Colonel! Put 10 on the Syrian border!

[spna]

It is inertial guided and GPS aided. This version of it does not use lasers for guidance.

[Straight Vermonter]

Caption:
A precision-guided missile was fired during its first test-fire outside of the U.S., recently near Tikrit, Iraq. The unitary-guided, multiple-launch rocket system is the latest addition to the U.S. Army's artillery arsenal and is designed to minimize collateral damage so not to cause unnecessary damage and destruction to innocent civilians.
Taken On: 06/22/2005
Photographer: Spc. Alisan Gul

Caption:
A cloud of smoke and debris rise from the impact of the U.S. Army's latest precision-guided rocket system during a recent test-fire in Baghdad.
Taken On: 06/23/2005
Photographer: Sgt. Michael J. Carden

Caption:
The second of two U.S. Army precision-guided rockets enters the building during a recent test-fire in Baghdad.
Taken On: 06/23/2005
Photographer: Sgt. Michael J. Carden

Caption:
A ball of fire emerges from the cloud of smoke and debris during a test-fire of the U.S. Army's latest unitary-guided rocket system recently in Baghdad. The unitary-guided, multiple-launch rocket system has been tested in the United States, but this was its first test-fire in Iraq.
Taken On: 06/23/2005
Photographer: Sgt. Michael J. Carden

Caption: A cloud of smoke and debris rise from the impact of the U.S. Army's latest unitary-guided rocket system during a recent test-fire in Baghdad.
Taken On: 06/25/2005
Photographer: Sgt. Michael J. Carden

[sydbas]

Sounds like were losing to me.

[Echo Talon]

Here are a couple of the "best looking" airplanes in the inventory...
F-15... Just made these... got the source photos from af.mil.

[PGalt]

Outstanding news! Thanks for posting.

[mark_interrupted]

the standard mlrs, is ballistic. Once it is fired the laws of ballistics take over. The Gmlrs is is guided by gps.

[RATkiller]

Bookmark

[MarkT]

Ummm, what about one in Tyson's Corner, VA with the coordinates for the Democrat side of the Senate? Ah, to dream, per chance, to dream....

[MarkT]

Ummm, what about one in Tyson's Corner, VA with the coordinates for the Democrat side of the Senate? Ah, to dream, per chance, to dream....

[yankeegohome]

MLRS has typically whats called two six packs. Its basically 12 rockets that carry 500 plus bomblets inside its tube. MLRS also has the capability of firing ATACMS which is your laser guided or GPS guided munition at a specific target. Believe it or not we actually use these in conjunction with AIR STRIKES. The scenario is you fire a six pack at a given target, as the rockets leave the tube, trailing behind the rockets at a nice safe distance is your F-16. Once the bomblets inside the rocket tear into the ground, whatever is left the fighter pilot gets. 2 six packs have enough munitions to kill anything in a grid square...it is the most powerful piece of artillery in the US arsenal. During Desert Storm 1 the Iraqis were the first humans to be tested with this awesome killing machine, the Iraqis dubbed it "Steel Rain". The article is about 3/13 FA BN with is part of the 214th FA BDE out of FT Sill,OK...I was in this BDE but was part of 1/14th.

[M. Dodge Thomas]

For our troops to have extremely accurate long-range all-weather “artillery” (which is what this system amounts to, when using the unitary warhead) is a Very Good Thing.

And it will undoubtedly reduce collateral damage – compared with alternatives such as 500 lb air-dropped precision guided bombs – especially when it’s employed against larger reinforced concrete buildings (like the one in those pictures) or targets well separated from other structures.

But to introduce a note of realism here, when you are employing a 180lb HE warhead accurate to 30 feet or so against the sort of structure typical in urban Iraq, you are often going to get significant collateral damage – it’s a bit misleading to describe this sort of result, against such targets, as “surgical”.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...Battery A, 3-13 FAR fired another six rockets Sept. 11, destroying the Mish’al Bridge and preventing its use for insurgent forces in the Al Anbar province in Western Iraq...

An excellent way to honor the 9-11 anniversary.

[Wiz]

GMLRS has more accuracy with guiding capabilities, and more range. The terrorists will never be able to reuse Tal Afar any more becuase these GMLRS will be in a good position to always target Tal Afar. I think I will keep my mouth shut more about this.

[USS Alaska]

It depends on what your meaning of the word is, is. I meant your definition of the phrase surgical strike. Hey, I thought the dropping of Little Man and Fatboy were surgical strikes...... they both hit japan. No one in Los Angles was hit, {but looking back on it, nevermind}.

[pissant]

I like to see my tax dollars spent on stuff like this!

[JSteff]

"Sounds like **were** losing to me."

Did you mean we're?

[sydbas]

Did you mean we're?

Yes I did. Sorry, you caught me with a typo. Chalked it up to a failed attempt at sarcasm.