On Thursday, February 12, 2026, the American company Lockheed Martin announced that, together with the U.S. Army, it had conducted the first test of the 227 mm Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) missile fired from the heavy, upgraded M270A2 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System).
Photo: Lockheed Martin
The test was conducted in January of this year at the White Sands Missile Range. An XM403 ER GMLRS AW (Alternative Warhead) missile was launched – an area-effects variant equipped with an approximately 90 kg fragmentation warhead that poses no unexploded ordnance risk and complies with cluster munitions policy. The round features height-of-burst (HOB) detonation enabled by an SMPS sensor (according to a more precise update from the U.S. Army on February 9, the test was carried out on January 30 – editor’s note).
According to the manufacturer, the test missile traveled a distance of 112 km. By comparison, standard GMLRS ammunition has a maximum range of 84 km. The manufacturer has stated that the maximum range for the ER GMLRS family is expected to reach up to 150 km. The January test confirmed the system’s accuracy, launcher integration, and lethality (the M270A2 had previously been used to test a new ballistic missile).
“The successful launch from the M270A2 shows we can give warfighters a longer-range weapon on the rocket platform they already trust, extending strike capability without adding new logistics burdens,” said Dave Griser, vice president, Lockheed Martin Precision Fires Rockets.
Independent U.S. Army tests, known as the Soldier-led Limited User Test, are scheduled to take place in the first half of the year ahead of formal entry into service.
The second extended-range variant is the XM404 ER GMLRS Unitary, equipped with an approximately 90 kg high-explosive (HE) warhead for precision engagement of point targets, with selectable impact, delay, or height-of-burst (HOB) detonation modes. It has not yet been tested from the M270A2 MLRS. ER GMLRS ammunition will also be compatible with the lighter M142 HIMARS launchers.
Export users of ER GMLRS ammunition will include Canada, Estonia, Australia, Finland, and Lithuania. Interestingly, the ammunition was also included in Poland’s request for an additional 486 HIMARS launchers; however, the procurement itself has not yet formally proceeded, with negotiations still ongoing.
M270A2 MLRS / Photo: Lockheed Martin
M270A2
The United States has been upgrading its frontline M270A1 MLRS launchers and reserve M270A0 MLRS systems to the M270A2 MLRS standard since April 2019. The program will extend the service life of the M270 MLRS through 2050.
The upgrades include modifications to the M993A0/A1 chassis, including a new engine and powertrain (increasing diesel engine output from 500 to 600 hp), installation of an improved armored cab, implementation of a common artillery fire control system, and integration of the M269A0/A1 Launcher Loader Module with a loading system.
Importantly, the upgraded launchers will be capable of carrying up to four Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) ballistic missiles simultaneously, instead of the current two older MGM-140 ATACMS missiles (MGM-140A/M39 and MGM-140B/M39A1). In the future, they are also expected to deploy the newly developed Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF) missiles with extended range.
Lockheed Martin delivered the first upgraded launcher for testing on July 12, 2022, and serial deliveries to U.S. Army units began in October 2024, when the 41st Field Artillery Brigade, stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany, received its first systems. As early as March 2025, M270A2 launchers from that unit participated in Exercise Joint Viking 2025 in Setermoen, Norway.
Beyond the U.S. Army, among export users, Finland has decided to upgrade its M270D1 MLRS launchers—locally designated 298 RsRakH 06—to a standard equivalent to the M270A2 (22 frontline systems and 21 reserve units). The United Kingdom, in turn, has opted to procure 15 new launchers in this configuration while upgrading 61 older M270B1 systems to the M270B2 standard. Italy has been upgrading 19 M270A1 MLRS-I launchers since April 2022 (two of which were transferred to Ukraine), while also ordering 21 lighter M142 HIMARS launchers mounted on wheeled chassis.
.@LockheedMartin completed the first ER‑GMLRS launch from an M270A2, hitting 150 km with proven reliability. Over two weeks, two tests met qualification for the Alternative‑Warhead (AW) variant. Click below for more:
— Lockheed Martin News (@LMNews) February 13, 2026