Lockheed Martin has successfully tested an upgraded GMLRS precision-guided rocket capable of receiving new targeting coordinates and changing course after launch from a HIMARS multiple launch rocket system.

The demonstration marked the first time a GMLRS rocket had successfully altered its flight path in response to updated targeting instructions.

Previously, GMLRS rockets were launched against fixed targets whose coordinates had been programmed before firing. Once airborne, they could not be redirected to a different target.

The new capability allows operators to change the intended point of impact while the rocket is in flight, without modifying the munition’s basic design.

The technology relies on two interconnected systems: the Strigo datalink and the RIG-360 remote guidance system.

Strigo is a specialized communications link installed aboard the rocket, while RIG-360 (Remote Interceptor Guidance-360) provides the external guidance capability needed to transmit updated coordinates.

Working together, the systems allow new targeting information to reach the rocket after launch. During the test, the GMLRS received revised coordinates, adjusted its trajectory and successfully struck the newly designated target.

The development is intended to connect existing sensors, launchers and targeting systems into an integrated network, allowing commanders to adjust missile strikes while they are already underway.

This approach could provide greater operational flexibility by enabling targeting decisions to be revised after a rocket has left its launcher.

Lockheed Martin also plans to adapt the communications and retargeting technology for other weapons, including the longer-range ER GMLRS rocket and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).

The successful test demonstrates a new capability for the GMLRS family, allowing rockets launched from HIMARS to be redirected in flight without a fundamental redesign of the weapon.