STORM Project Office and British Army successfully conduct 10th Steel Thunder

Courtesy Photo | The British Army is equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket Systems that fires 12 surface-to-surface missiles in less than a minute (Photo courtesy of the British Army) https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2021/03/mlrs-upgrade-agreement/  

REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, UNITED STATES

05.24.2021

Story by Kinsey Lindstrom 

Program Executive Office Missiles and Space

On March 31 through April 1, 2021, the Strategic and Operational Rockets and Missiles Project Office and United Kingdom’s British Army successfully conducted the 10th Steel Thunder exercise at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The British Army invited an international partner, equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket System weapon system, to successfully conduct a joint live-fire mission and prove they can fire one another’s munitions.

“For several years, Foreign Military Sales partner nations have desired to demonstrate this capability,” said James Carter, STORM PO International Programs management specialist. “It was a perfect opportunity to send an MLRS launcher to WSMR and conduct the operation with all of the players in the same location – with the right support and expertise to troubleshoot any issues and maximize the odds of success!”

The significant accomplishment demonstrated the ability to share munitions among international partner nations with MLRS launchers. The U.K. Guided MLRS rockets were successfully fired from another partner nation’s MLRS launcher. The exercise verified interoperability among allied nations on the battlefield and proved ammunition resupply is possible from one nation to another in a coalition warfare environment. Although the U.S. has demonstrated this interoperability in the past, this recent event is the first time two partner nations demonstrated it with each other.

The spring 2021 Steel Thunder training exercise marked the U.K.’s 10th routine live-fire training event. Steel Thunder exercises first began at WSMR in 2011 in close coordination with the STORM Project Office and the British Army. The live fires were conducted to certify British Army MLRS launcher crews as operationally ready to fire GMLRS Unitary in a combat environment, before deploying to Afghanistan. Although the U.K. withdrew its MLRS units from the Afghanistan in 2014, the annual capstone exercise has continued.

Prior to 2021, Steel Thunder occurred annually, but the U.K. has already conducted one mission this year with another operation planned for the fall. Through additional exercises, the British Army is able to provide routine live-fire certifications for its MLRS crews.

“These events demonstrate U.S. commitment to continued training for the U.K.,” said Nathan List, STORM PO, International Cooperative Programs chief. “The hands-on training confirmed the munition interoperability and built on the excellent relationship among all partner countries.”

While COVID-19 still remains at large, precautionary measures are in place throughout travel and training. U.S. Federal, Department of Defense, state and military base-level social distancing restrictions and guidelines have made training exercises more difficult to complete, but the international teams have and will continue to overcome these challenges, execute the mission and deliver to the Warfighter.

• Date Taken: 05.24.2021
• Date Posted: 05.24.2021 15:54
• Story ID: 397257
• Location: REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, US
• Hometown: HUNTSVILLE, AL, US
• Hometown: WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, NM, US