Artillery Article Index : Current 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
 Latest
 News 		  Most
 Read 		  Most
 Commented		  Hot
 Topics

June 19, 2002

To keep it's MLRS crews well trained, and keep costs down, the U.S. Army provides the crews with cheaper ($2,820 each) reduced range practice rockets. It's buying 5,600 of these rockets for fiscal 2003. These rockets have a maximum range of 15 kilometers, meaning they can be safely used in all North American artillery ranges. Regular MLRS rockets have a range of 40 kilometers or more. The practice rockets have no explosives in the warhead (although there is non-explosive material to equal the weight of the missing explosives), and a smoke cartridge to help spot where the rocket lands. Even so, the practice rockets are so expensive that most crew training involves practicing reloading the MLRS and computer simulations of aiming and firing.