In March 2016, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon announced they would offer a missile to meet the U.S. Army’s Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) requirement to replace the ATACMS. The missile will use advanced propulsion to fly faster and further, out to 500 kilometres (310 mi) (limited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty), while also being thinner and sleeker, increasing loadout to two per pod, doubling the number able to be carried by M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS launchers. One contractor is to be downselected in 2018-19 to begin production in 2021-22. In 2017, The US Army has given Raytheon the go-ahead to proceed into the technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) phase for its Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) effort, now called DeepStrike.
Raytheon announced on 12 June that it received a USD116.4 million contract to enter the 34-month TMRR phase that will culminate in three guided flight tests at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The LRPF munition will likely replace the Lockheed Martin MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). One improvement the army is seeking is the ability to load two munitions into a single-launch pod container, which is not possible with the ATACMS. The two LRPFs per pod would enable the army to increase the rate of fires per launcher load.
Preserving peace and stability around the world calls for an “overmatch,” an affordable solution that offers greater range, precision and combat power than that of potential adversaries. Raytheon is answering the call with the new DeepStrike® missile, a longer-range weapon based on advanced technologies that will allow the U.S. Army to field twice as many missiles on its existing launch vehicles. The new DeepStrike missile was developed for the Army’s Precision Strike Missile requirement. The launcher will fire two missiles from a single weapons pod, an innovative and differentiated design that slashes the cost to the customer and doubles the combat power. The missile flies farther, packs more punch and incorporates a more superior guidance system than the current weapon, which is rapidly becoming obsolete.
Raytheon’s DeepStrike missile will integrate with the M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS® rocket launchers. The range and speed of the new missile will enable Army combat units to engage targets over vast geographic areas in high-threat environments.
As the next generation of surface-to-surface weapon for the Army, the DeepStrike missile will:
Offer a low-cost solution.
Double the firepower.
Defeat fixed land targets at 300-499 kilometers.
Improve lethality and target set over current systems.
Provide flexibility in the future battlespace.
Raytheon is a preferred provider of overmatch solutions for both U.S. and international ground forces. The company is also building partnerships with international firms to offer new combat solutions based on existing technologies and future innovations.
