Background Briefing

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Marine Corps Procurement Requests

Missile and Rocket Systems

The Marine Corps seeks funds for GMLRS rockets, but the details of this request are somewhat unclear.  The Marine Corps Budget Justification Sheet calls for $1.3 million for GMLRS rockets and MLRS practice rockets, but it does not specify how the money will be divided.20  According to Army budget justification documents, the Marines want forty-eight GMLRS rockets as part of a program that would obtain 3,144 by FY 2009.21  The Marines procured sixty such rockets in FY 2004 and are scheduled to request 606 and 1,164 over the next two years.  For FY 2005, they also requested $16.3 million for one HIMARS.22  The analysis of these requests is the same as that for the Army’s GMLRS and HIMARS.

  • The Marine Corps should clarify its procurement request, breaking it down by type of rocket and specifying what type of submunitions the GLMRS would carry.

  • Congress should reject procurement requests for GMLRS with earlier model, or “legacy,” submunitions.

  • Congress should condition approval for the HIMARS launcher on its being used only with unitary warheads.


    [20] Department of the Navy, FY 2005 President’s Budget: Procurement, Marine Corps, February 2004, Item No. 17, HIMARS Rockets, https://notes3.secnav.navy.mil/fy05.nsf/PMC?OpenForm&ExpandView (retrieved April 7, 2004).

    [21] Department of the Army, Committee Staff Procurement Backup Book, Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Estimates: Missile Procurement, Army, February 2004, Item No. 12, Guided MLRS Rocket, p. 79, http://www.asafm.army.mil/budget/fybm/FY05/pforms/missiles.pdf (retrieved April 7, 2004).

    [22] Department of the Navy, FY 2005 President’s Budget: Procurement, Marine Corps, February 2004, Item No. 7, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, https://notes3.secnav.navy.mil/fy05.nsf/PMC?OpenForm&ExpandView (retrieved April 7, 2004).


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