Since early November, with its conclusion scheduled for tomorrow, the Rovajärvi Training Area in Finland has been the epicenter of Exercise Dynamic Front 25. This multinational activity brings together artillery units and regiments from NATO member countries, offering a key opportunity to enhance cooperation and interoperability in artillery fire support. Additionally, the exercise provides an ideal framework for participating forces to deploy new equipment in their first operational activity. Such is the case for the United States Army, which has deployed the new version of its M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) in Finland, the result of a modernization program undertaken by Lockheed Martin to meet the Army’s requirements.
The M270 MLRS recapitalization and modernization program, led by Lockheed Martin, includes a series of significant upgrades for this artillery system. These upgrades include replacing the original engine with a more powerful 600-horsepower unit, adding an armored cabin for enhanced crew protection, and integrating the new Common Fire Control System (CFCS).
A key aspect of the program is equipping the M270 with the capability to use a new range of guided munitions, also developed by Lockheed Martin. Among these munitions are the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a short-range ballistic missile designed to replace the U.S. Army’s current ATACMS, and the new extended-range GMLRS rockets.
This enhanced version, designated as the “M270A2,” ensures the artillery system’s operational viability within U.S. Army regiments until at least 2050. As the program progresses, Lockheed Martin has already delivered the first modernized units and received additional orders to upgrade more systems.
In this context, and through officially released images, the U.S. Army confirmed the first international deployment of the new M270 version as part of Exercise Dynamic Front 25. The U.S. presence at the event includes the 56th Artillery Command, the 41st Field Artillery Brigade, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the 10th Mountain Division, and the 1st Cavalry Division.
In its official statement, the U.S. Army noted: “In addition to live-fire exercises, this practice incorporates various technologies, such as the Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities (ASCA) network, an encrypted software that removes language barriers between artillery units.”
It also added: “ASCA enhances forces’ ability to collaborate and operate in a joint, high-intensity environment across different locations, using standardized target information, map graphics, and language. This system, employed by the United States and 14 other nations during the exercise—the largest number of countries ever integrated into a NATO exercise—demonstrates the Alliance’s capabilities in synchronizing multinational live-fire artillery capabilities from the Arctic Circle to the Black Sea.”
Moreover, the presence of the M270A2 is particularly significant for the exercise’s host. In December 2023, the Finnish Ministry of Defense confirmed the beginning of its M270 MLRS fleet’s modernization to the “A2” standard. According to the Finnish Army, this upgrade will be carried out by Lockheed Martin. “The total value of the MLRS fleet modernization, excluding value-added tax, will be €450 million.”
You may also like: Lockheed Martin successfully conducts the first salvo shot of the U.S. Army’s new PrSM ballistic missile
