Lockheed Martin successfully completed a production qualification flight test with the U.S. Army in a demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. One Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was fired from a HIMARS launcher to hit a target set. The test is the shortest distance flown to date demonstrating the system’s continued accuracy from launch to impact. While not PrSM’s primary mission range, the short-range flight represents the most stressful, dynamic environment for the missile as it maneuvers at hypersonic speeds to align to the target. This test verifies structural integrity of the missile and trajectory control.
“This demonstration is the first of several production qualification tests moving PrSM closer to fielding and delivery of Early Operational Capability (EOC) missiles this year,” said Jay Price, vice president of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “PrSM is a critical capability and the top long-range precision fires modernization priority for the U.S. Army.”
The test follows a third production contract to produce additional EOC missiles awarded in September 2023. PrSM is the U.S. Army’s next generation long-range precision strike missile capable of neutralizing targets out to more than 400 kilometers. The new surface-to-surface weapon features an open systems architecture design for maximum affordability and flexibility, is modular for future growth and is HIMARS and M270 compatible. PrSM provides the Joint Force Commander with increased range, lethality, survivability and missile load out. These enhanced capabilities are critical to the successful execution of fires in support of combined Joint All-Domain Operations.
The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a short-range ballistic missile being developed by the United States Army to replace the MGM-140 ATACMS. In June 2020, the Army had begun testing a new multi-mode seeker – an upgrade for the Precision Strike Missile – even though the missile would not enter service until 2023, the upgraded seeker is expected to be part of a major program improvement planned for 2025. Advancements in designing and a potential ramjet could extend the weapon’s range up to 1,000 kilometers. In July 2021, the US announced that Australia had become a partner in the PrSM Program with the Australian Army signing a memorandum of understanding for Increment 2 of the program with the US Army’s Defense Exports and Cooperation and had contributed US$54 million.
