German Army to Acquire Guided Missiles for MARS Rocket Systems

The military is to receive more than 1,800 high-precision missiles that will also be available for the NATO joint task force 

The German Army announced earlier this month that the national parliament of the Federal Republic has approved the acquisition of new MARS II rockets. The contract will be valued at more than $239 million and cover the supply of 1,818 unitary guided missiles with a unitary warhead. These high-precision missiles can hit targets up to 80 kilometers away with pinpoint accuracy in any weather condition.

MilitaryLeak.com reported that these missiles will be available for the NATO VJTF (Very High Readiness Joint Task Force). In addition, 170 guided missiles of the Patriot ground-based air defense system from the German Army inventory will be upgraded for the VJTF in 2023.

The MARS II is a Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), which is based on the American-made M270 MLRS system. Depending on the type of target, the MARS can fire different types of munitions over distances ranging from 10 to 70 km.