The US Army has announced the initial delivery of its Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) to replace the legacy Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
The delivery follows a series of developmental trials, including in November when the weapon completed a production qualification flight test in the “most stressful environment.”
According to the service, the recently delivered weapons are certified for Early Operational Capability, making them ready to use within operational parameters.
The army has not disclosed how many PrSMs it received.
With the delivery, the US Army completed another modernization program to get the weapon into soldiers’ hands by the end of 2023.
“The rapid development and delivery of this capability is a prime example of the Army’s aggressive use of new acquisition authorities from Congress that allow us to move at much greater speed to get improved equipment to soldiers,” army acquisition official Doug Bush said.
Development
The PrSM program began as a competition between American defense giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
However, Raytheon exited the program in March 2020 after a technical issue that delayed the flight tests of its proposed DeepStrike missile.
With Lockheed as the only remaining competitor, engineering and missile design maturation continued, leading to $62 million and $158 million contracts for early operational capability production.
According to the US Army, the PrSM will provide a next-generation precision fires capability to support long-range missions.
It can be fired from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) launchers.
The weapon can neutralize targets at ranges greater than 400 kilometers (248 miles), longer than its predecessor ATACMS’s 70 to 300 kilometers (43 to 186 miles).
“The Precision Strike Missile will provide Joint Force commanders with a 24/7, all-weather capability that will counter the enemy’s ability to conduct combat maneuver and air defense operations,” Bush stated.