About Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS):
- It is a series of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles developed in the United States.
- It is manufactured by the US defense company Lockheed Martin.
- ATACMS was first developed by the U.S. in the 1980s to rival the former Soviet Union’s long-range artillery and missile systems.
- It is also designated M39 by the US Army, and its Department of Defence (DoD) designation is MGM-140.
- The missile first saw use during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
- This weapon’s known operators other than the US are Bahrain, Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Features:
- ATACMS are 24/7, all-weather, surface-to-surface, inertially guided ballistic missiles.
- Range: It has a range of about 190 miles (305 km).
- Propulsion: Single-stage, solid propellant.
- These missiles are fired from either the tracked M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or the wheeled M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
- Each one costs around $1.5m (£1.2m).
- They can be configured to carry two different types of warhead.
- The first is a cluster fitted with hundreds of bomblets designed to destroy lighter-armoured units over a wide area.
- The second type is a single warhead, a 225 kg high explosive variant of which is designed to destroy hardened facilities and larger structures.
- ATACMS missiles travel at high altitudes before descending at immense speeds, making them difficult to intercept.
