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Plate 036 · Rocket Artillery · Modern

M270 MLRS

A tracked launcher firing twelve 227 mm rockets in under a minute.

M270 MLRS — U.S. Army photo, Public Domain
U.S. Army photo, Public Domain · Public DomainView on Wikimedia Commons →

Historical Record

Provenance & Service

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System combines a Bradley-derived chassis with two pods of six 227 mm rockets or, alternatively, two ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles. First used in combat during Operation Desert Storm where Iraqi soldiers nicknamed it 'steel rain', the M270 has been continuously upgraded and fields guided rockets ranging out to 150 km.