The American defense concern Lockheed Martin has encountered difficulties in increasing production of GMLRS guided missiles. This was reported by the American military-industrial complex magazine. Defense is a.
Becky Whitrow, the company’s business development manager, cited the lack of machine tools and testing equipment as the biggest obstacle.
Now the company has reached full production capacity and produces 10,000 guided multiple launch rocket systems per year. By 2024, the company plans to increase that figure to 14,000 missiles per year, but it will take at least two years to double production volumes, according to a Lockheed Martin spokesperson.
Another challenge, Whitrow said, is finding workers for production lines, many of which are far from population centers. Lockheed Martin only produces missiles in one shift, but they are temporarily capable of bringing it in one second, he said.
The company spokesperson also spoke about the challenges in the supply chain. He explained that some components for GMLRS missiles are also required for other shells. For example, a GMLRS subcontractor is also producing components for another highly sought-after missile, the Javelin, and an increase in production of one will mean workers leave the other.
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The GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) family of 227 mm rockets currently consists of two samples – M30 and M31. The M30 destroys unprotected and lightly armored targets when there is no precise data on their coordinates. The M31 missile, on the other hand, is designed to accurately hit fixed targets at previously discovered coordinates.