White Sands in Doρa Ana County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System
Photographed by James Hulse, July 23, 2024
1. MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System Marker
Shown here is one of two pods that would be mounted on a MLRS M270 Launcher, a stretched Bradley Fighting Vehicle chassis. The vehicle is tracked and self-propelled, designed to fire 12 tactical rockets and re-deploy before enemy determination of launch position ("shoot and scoot").
Each pod holds six rockets. The rockets can be fired individually or in ripples of two to twelve. The computer re-aims the launcher between rounds, assuring accurate firings.
MLRS rockets are solid-fueled, with a warhead of shaped-charge submunitions, earning the nickname "steel rain."
These rockets can also be launched from the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) on the east edge of Missile Park.
MLRS started life as the U.S. Army's GSRS (General Support Rocket System) program in the mid-1970s. After a competitive shoot-out in 1977, GSRS was renamed MLRS. It reached operational capability with the U.S. Army in 1983. MLRS was first used operationally during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Up-graded versions of MLRS were used in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March and April 2003.
Length: 13 feet
Diameter: 9 inches
Range: Greater than 18 miles
Propellant:
this page online
First Firing: 1977
Erected by White Sands Missile Range Museum. (Marker Number 94.088.001.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm • War, 2nd Iraq. A significant historical month for this entry is April 2003.
Location. 32° 23.137′ N, 106° 28.684′ W. Marker is in White Sands, New Mexico, in Doρa Ana County. It is on Wsmr P Rt 1 (New Mexico Route 213) 4 miles south of U.S. 70. The marker and various missiles are located on the grounds of the White Sands Missile Range Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: White Sands Missile Range NM 88002, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Rio Grande Valley. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Gadsden Purchase, and the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: HIMARS Mockup Display Vehicle (a few steps from this marker); Cinetheodolite (a few steps from this marker); RP-76 (a few steps from this marker); Tracking Telescopes at White Sands Missile Range (a few steps from this marker); The Type IV (T-4) Tracking Telescope at Mule Peak (a few steps from this marker); Howitzer (a few steps from this marker); Anatomy of the Type IV (T-4) Tracking Telescope (a few steps from this marker); Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997) (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in White Sands.
More about this marker. The marker and museum
Photographed by James Hulse, July 23, 2024
2. The MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System and Marker
Also see . . .
1. Welcome to the White Sands Missile Range Museum. White Sands Missile Range Museum (Submitted on July 30, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
2. M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System. Wikipedia
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS) is an American armored self-propelled multiple launch rocket system.(Submitted on July 30, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
The U.S. Army variant of the M270 is based on the chassis of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The first M270s were delivered in 1983, and were adopted by several NATO and non-NATO militaries. The platform first saw service with the United States in the 1991 Gulf War. It has received multiple improvements since its inception, including the ability to fire guided missiles. M270s provided by the United Kingdom have seen use in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Public Domain - Staff Sgt. Charles Butler/South Dakota National Guard, March 25, 2015
3. M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System South Dakota
Multiple Launch Rocket Systems from C Battery, 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division fire rockets during a cross-boundary live-fire March 25, 2015 near Cheorwon, South Korea. The live-fire was part of a larger combined joint exercise with elements from the U.S. Marines and Air Force as well as the Republic of Korea Army and Air Force.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 216 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 30, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
