U.S. Army HIMARS Rocket Changes Course Midflight to Destroy Moving Target in First Live Fire Test.

The U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin have successfully redirected a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rocket during flight, allowing it to destroy a moving target at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The demonstration introduces a new capability for American rocket artillery, enabling HIMARS-launched munitions to receive updated targeting information after launch and engage mobile threats whose positions change before impact.

U.S. Marines fire an M31 GMLRS precision-guided rocket from an M142 HIMARS during a live-fire exercise at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on December 4, 2015. The same rocket family was used in a 2026 U.S. Army test demonstrating the ability to redirect a munition in flight to destroy a moving target. (Picture source: US DoD)

The test addresses a limitation of conventional precision rocket artillery, which primarily relies on target coordinates established before firing. A GMLRS rocket normally follows a programmed trajectory using satellite-assisted inertial guidance, making it effective against fixed positions but less suited to targets that relocate during flight. Introducing an external targeting update creates another engagement option without requiring the launcher to fire a replacement rocket.

In a statement published on October 28, 2026, Lockheed Martin confirmed that the demonstration involved launching a GMLRS rocket from an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), followed by an in-flight target update transmitted through the Strigo datalink and Remote Interceptor Guidance-360 (RIG-360) system. The rocket successfully changed its target assignment and destroyed the moving objective. The integration was financed internally by Lockheed Martin and represents the first successful demonstration of this capability using a live GMLRS rocket.

How RIG-360 and Strigo Enable HIMARS Rockets to Change Targets

The technology builds on an earlier demonstration conducted in 2023, when Lockheed Martin tested a RIG-360 uplinker prototype during a captive-carry experiment at White Sands Missile Range. Instead of launching a rocket, engineers installed an experimental datalink aboard an aircraft reproducing a GMLRS surface-to-surface flight trajectory. The RIG-360 system successfully transmitted targeting updates to the airborne equipment, establishing the communications concept subsequently demonstrated with a live munition in 2026.

RIG-360 was originally developed to provide 360-degree in-flight communications for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor family, reducing communication blind spots between missiles and supporting radar systems. On October 20, 2026, Lockheed Martin reported that the program had completed a critical design review, captive-carry testing, and a development flight test within less than two months. Its integration with Strigo for the GMLRS demonstration illustrates how technology developed for air and missile defense can also support surface-to-surface precision fires.

The GMLRS itself is a 227 mm guided rocket measuring approximately 3.94 meters in length, with a standard engagement range exceeding 70 kilometers. The M142 HIMARS carries six rockets in one launch pod, compared with twelve aboard the tracked M270 launcher. The M31 unitary variant uses a 200-pound-class high-explosive fragmentation warhead, while the M30A1 Alternative Warhead disperses tungsten fragments against area targets. Lockheed Martin has not identified which GMLRS variant was used during the latest demonstration.

Moving Targets Become a New Priority for U.S. Precision Artillery

The operational distinction is between striking a target's last known coordinates and correcting its position after the rocket has left the launcher. In the 2026 test, the GMLRS receives a new target assignment in flight and successfully strikes a moving objective. This demonstrates a capability that could be relevant against relocating artillery systems or mobile missile launchers, although neither target category has been identified as part of the experiment. The announced result establishes successful retargeting, but not continuous target tracking or autonomous terminal homing. Lockheed Martin has also not specified the target's speed, the number of updates transmitted, or the stage of flight at which the correction occurred.

Extended Range GMLRS and PrSM Could Receive In-Flight Retargeting

The same communications package is intended for potential integration with Extended Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The ER GMLRS offers a range of up to 150 kilometers and completed two soldier-led operational tests in September and October 2026 using an M270A2 launcher. PrSM Increment 1 reaches beyond 400 kilometers, while Increment 2 is being developed with a multimode seeker to engage moving maritime and relocatable land targets. These programs follow separate development paths, and the latest GMLRS test does not establish that either munition already possesses the demonstrated retargeting capability.

The development also carries implications for NATO artillery modernization and the wider security environment. Ukraine's experience against Russian artillery and mobile air defense systems has underlined the importance of reducing the time between target detection and engagement. For U.S. forces and allied HIMARS operators, the possibility of updating a rocket's destination after launch offers a potential way to engage relocating threats without replacing existing launch platforms. Its future operational relevance will depend on successful integration into military targeting networks and subsequent qualification for field use. If validated, the technology could narrow the advantage currently enjoyed by mobile systems that rely on rapid displacement to survive precision artillery attacks.

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Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.