M270 MLRS - Weapon of the Cold War

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS) is a multiple rocket launcher, a type of rocket artillery.
The first rocket systems were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983. The system is in widespread use in NATO countries and it has also been manufactured in Europe. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured, along with more than 700,000 rockets. The system has been used in the Gulf wars, where it proved itself as a practical and effective weapons system.

The system is capable of firing guided and unguided projectiles to a distance of up to 42 km (26.1 miles). Firing ballistic missiles, (such as the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System—ATACMS) it is capable of reaching out to 300 km (186 miles) with the warhead reaching a maximal altitude of ~50 km (164,000 ft). The M270 is a very mobile unit, thus well suited for the so called shoot-and-scoot tactic: it can fire its rockets very rapidly and immediately move away to avoid returning counter-battery fire.
The rockets and ATACMS missiles are contained in interchangeable pods. Each pod contains six standard rockets or one guided ATACMS missile. The launcher can hold two pods at a time, which it loads using an integrated crane. All twelve rockets or two ATACMS missiles can be fired in under a minute. One launcher firing twelve rockets can completely blanket one square kilometer with submunitions.

The first operational organic or "all MLRS" battalion 4th Bn, 27th FA started training in the winter of 1985 at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Alpha Battery, 4/27th FA (MLRS) was deployed en masse to Peden Barracks at Wertheim, West Germany in April of that year. "Sudden Impact" as it was known by its members fired its first rounds in theater and was considered operational by June of that year. Two other firing batteries soon joined. 6/27th FA (MLRS) deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield in October 1990, and 1/158th FA from Ft Sill deployed in January 1991. A Btry 6/27th FA was the first ground unit to fire in support of Operation Desert Storm, firing a missile at approximately 00:40 (12:40am) January 18. The 4/27th FA (MLRS) was deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield on Christmas Day 1990. It has since been used in numerous military engagements including the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In March 2007 the British Ministry of Defence decided to send a troop of MLRS to support ongoing operations in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand; they will use newly developed guided munitions.

MLRS was developed jointly by the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and France. The production of the M270 ended in 2003, when a last batch was delivered to the Egyptian army.