M142

The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a U.S. light multiple rocket launcher mounted on a standard Army Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) truck frame.

The HIMARS carries six rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile on the U.S. Army's new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) five-ton truck, and can launch the entire M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) family of munitions. HIMARS is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1, carrying half the rocket load.

Battlefield 3
"Mobile rocket artillery used by US Marine Corps and Fire Brigade."

- Battlelog Description

The M142 HIMARS appears in the Armored Kill expansion pack, available to the United States as their Mobile Artillery Vehicle. Its Russian counterpart is the BM-23. It is a single-operator vehicle, although it has two seats. The operator must switch between the driver and gunner positions, preventing use of weapons while moving.

Compared to its Russian equal, the M142 is more sluggish in its handling and acceleration, but has smaller windows that grants the driver extra protection against small arms fire.

Its main weapon system is a turret capable of swiveling 360° and firing six rockets in one salvo. The minimap can be expanded to show the impact areas, much like the behavior for the M224 Mortar after the matching patch. On level ground it has a minimum engagement distance of about 100 meters, and a maximum of about 700. The targeting reticule roughly corresponds to 50 meter increments, starting with 100m at the top and 400m at the bottom. Adjustments must be made when attacking other elevations, and when stationed on a slope.

A quirk in the projectile behavior allows them to pass through objects shortly after launch, reducing the risk of the operator injuring himself if firing near cover.

Although not equipped with close-range weapons, the Proximity Defense specialization surrounds the vehicle with smoke that is very harmful to infantry. Otherwise, the operator is vulnerable even to small arms fire through the windshield. The player can turn the vehicle away from anticipated enemy routes, but there is a delay as the weapon system must be turned towards target.

The TOW missile used by the vehicle fires at a higher trajectory and faster speed than the comparable ATGM Launcher for IFVs, but is otherwise the same.

The specializations available to mobile artillery vehicles focus mainly on alternate weapons and threat minimization:
 * IR Smoke - 400 points
 * Autoloader - 800 points
 * Proximity Scan - 1600 points
 * ATACMS Missile guided weapon for engaging other ground vehicles - 2500 points
 * Maintenance - 3500 points
 * Zoom Optics - 4500 points
 * Thermal Camo - 5500 points
 * TOW missile system for engaging targets by wire-guidance - 7000 points
 * Proximity Defense for repelling infantry at close range - 9000 points


 * Air-Burst Missile for focus on infantry - Rocket Specialist assignment
 * Anti-Air Missile for focus on air vehicles - Anti-air Support assignment

Trivia

 * When a Javelin missiles hits the vehicle, it will always kill the driver, no matter where it strikes.
 * Console players have to use their "Pause" map in order to observe impact sites.