By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President , News
It’s a first for the US Army – a successful test of the new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) that was conducted entirely by soldiers.
On Dec. 11, soldiers at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico launched two PrSM Increment 1 missiles from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in what was called a limited user test. According to an Army press release, “both missiles traveled the predicted trajectory and designated range successfully engaging four simulated rotary wing targets within a helicopter staging area.”
The test came several weeks after another successful test of the PrSM, which is built by Lockheed Martin, at White Sands.
“The PrSM program has consistently demonstrated the ability to deliver accurate and reliable performance,” said Carolyn Orzechowski, vice president of Lockheed’s Precision Fires Laucnhers and Missiles unit. “This achievement underscores the program’s maturity and reinforces the system’s reliability for our Army partner.”
The PrSM Increment 1 will replace the Army’s Tactical Missile System the MGM-140 ATACMS). It’s described as a next-generation, precision-strike missile with a range of more than 400 kilometers (roughly 250 miles). That range became possible when the US withdrew from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, accusing Moscow of failing to comply with its obligations.
Lockheed says the weapon has an open systems architecture design for affordability and flexibility and is compatible with both the HIMARS and the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
PrSMs could be used to attack enemy formations from safer distances before ground forces close in. The Army is said to be working on a new seeker for the missile which could improve its ability to change course in flight to hit moving targets and possibly disrupt efforts to jam or disrupt targeting. There’s also talk of using ramjet technology that could extend the missile’s range to 620 miles.
PrSM is one of 35 key systems the Army wants to field by 2030, at which point the service would declare itself fully modernized. The Army has dubbed long-range precision fires as its number one priority. In addition to the PrSM, the Army is developing a long-range hypersonic missile and a mid-range missile that would be used to destroy ships.
Originally, Lockheed and RTX engaged in a competition to build the PSM. But RTX struggled in the development stages, and agreed with Army to abandon the project in early 2020. Still, Lockheed, RTX and Northrup Grumman will battle it out for a later phase of the program.
