Continuing an exceptionally busy program of worldwide exhibits, Arnold Defense™, the St. Louis based manufacturer of 2.75-inch rocket launchers, will have four LAND-LGR4 “FLETCHER™” laser guided rocket launchers on display at this year’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) exhibition.
With FLETCHER™, first unveiled just over 2 years ago, Arnold Defense™ has made a bold departure from the traditional concept of use for 2.75-inch rocket systems; that of an area suppression weapon delivered by aviation assets. FLETCHER™, optimized for use by both special and conventional forces to provide surface-to-surface precision effect, uses advanced rocket-guidance technology and ground-based launch platforms, meeting the demands of modern, vehicle-mounted and dismounted asymmetric warfare.
Following exceptional levels of international interest since its launch, Arnold Defense™ has further developed a number of supplementary ground and maritime-based concepts, expanding FLETCHER’s™ utility into the arena of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV), naval and littoral platforms. Jim Hager, President and CEO of Arnold Defense™ has said “Since launching FLETCHER™, Arnold Defense™ has exhibited widely on the international market where it has garnered significant interest world-wide, especially from special operations units. Our rocket launchers are already internationally well-established on airborne platforms, so transitioning into the land and marine environments with FLETCHER™ is a natural progression”.
Arnold Defense™ has also recently revealed the newest member of their rocket launcher family, the Multiple Launch Hydra System (MLHS™). Offering the same capability as FLETCHER™ but with dramatically greater capacity, the MLHS™ holds 23 rockets, over FLETCHER’s™ 4 and is set to transform the surface defense world by delivering a low-cost, high-capacity surgical strike capability. Whilst the MLHS™ is a new system, it represents a significant product development of Arnold Defense’s™ FLETCHER™ system.
The configurations of FLETCHER™ on display at this year’s AUSA will showcase some of the system’s versatility and will be found on the following stands: Navistar Defense – on the SOTV-B at Booth 2625; Dillon Aero – on a Toyota Hilux at Booth 8323; Moog Inc. – on the XM813 turret at Booth 3025; and BAE – on a swing arm at Booth 6343.
Jim Hager: “The development of FLETCHER™ and MLHS™ demonstrates our commitment to driving innovation; this facet of Arnold Defense’s™ ethos being key to our ability to remain ahead of a constantly and rapidly evolving defense environment.” He added “We are delighted to be showcasing FLETCHER™ at this year’s AUSA. The opportunity to have several systems on display demonstrates the exceptional levels of interest in our highly versatile FLETCHER™ system.”
