# Raytheon reports third flight test of Army training rocket The Army plans to choose a single Joint Reduced Range Rocket design in fiscal 2027, followed by qualification to inform a future production decision. Published 2026-11-09 by TGOs. Canonical: https://tgos.io/news/2026/11/09/raytheon-reports-third-flight-test-of-army-training-rocket/ Raytheon reported Nov. 9 that its DeepStrike JR3 completed a third successful flight test for the Army's Joint Reduced Range Rocket program.[1] The company said it fired multiple rounds during a recent test at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.[1] The Army's fiscal 2027 budget request lays out competitive prototyping of up to three candidate systems.[2] It plans a down-select to a single solution that year.[2] A follow-on qualification phase is planned to begin in fiscal 2027 to inform a future production decision.[2] At Yuma, Raytheon said it demonstrated range, trajectory, accuracy, marking visibility and launch pod container reusability and maintainability.[1] Raytheon's solution is designed to carry 24 rockets per pod, and the company says its team is preparing additional flight tests ahead of qualification.[1] Raytheon's team includes Combined Systems, Corvid Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman and Letterkenny Munitions Center.[1] Lockheed Martin also demonstrated a JR3 prototype: in August 2025, it reported launching its training round for the first time at White Sands Missile Range.[3] ## Why it matters The Army identifies the Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket as the only live training rocket for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Multiple Launch Rocket System units' annual qualification and pre-deployment requirements.[2] Its solid rocket motors were last built in the mid-1990s, and the Army projects those inventories will be depleted by fiscal 2030.[2] The Army says JR3 must begin production by then to support crew training requirements.[2] ## Sources 1. RTX, "RTX's Raytheon advances Joint Reduced Range Rocket with third successful flight test," Nov. 9, 2026 2. Army FY2027 RDT&E budget justification, Vol. 3 Budget Activity 5D (PE 0605244A, JR3) 3. Lockheed Martin, Aug. 25, 2025