Lockheed Martin tests new JR3 rocket for HIMARS

Lockheed Martin fired multiple training rockets from a HIMARS launcher during a second flight test of its new Joint Reduced Range Rocket at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, the company said Friday.

The test measured range, trajectory, accuracy and the performance of the rocket’s marking payload, which allows crews to see where a round would have hit without using live ammunition. Lockheed Martin designed the JR3 to replace the Army’s current Reduced Range Practice Rocket, a training round used to simulate live-fire exercises at a lower cost and shorter range than a full combat rocket.

The JR3 fires from both the HIMARS and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System. It comes packaged in a new 24-round launch pod, and the pod itself is designed to be reused rather than discarded after firing, which Lockheed Martin said lowers the cost of repeated training cycles.

“Our new training round offers a scalable, very affordable solution built on mature rocket motor technology,” said Dave Griser, vice president of Lockheed Martin Precision Fires Rockets. “With a 24-round rocket launch pod, our JR3 system meets the Army’s demand for higher training volume and lower cost without sacrificing performance.”

Lockheed Martin said the JR3 is built on established rocket motor technology rather than a new propulsion design, an approach the company said keeps the per-round cost low while still supporting repeatable, high-volume training. The reloadable launch tubes and reusable pods are central to that cost structure, according to the company.

The company said the JR3 would let launcher crews run realistic live-fire drills on training ranges with limited space, in day or night conditions, across multiple locations.

Lockheed Martin has scheduled another flight test later this year to continue validating the rocket’s performance. The company also said the JR3’s underlying architecture could carry over to future programs, including the Army’s Direct Support Fires Technology initiative, which is aimed at developing low-cost, mass-producible rockets.

This was the second flight test of the JR3 program.