Lockheed Martin successfully completed a short-distance qualification flight test for its Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

Under the supervision of the US Army, one PrSM was fired from a HIMARS launcher to date demonstrating the system’s continued accuracy from launch to impact. This kind of test, the short-range flight, represents the most stressful for any missile, in particular for the PrSM which maneuvers at hypersonic speeds to run to the target. In accordance with the press released by Lockheed Martin, this test verified the structural integrity of the missile and the trajectory control, important for fielding and delivery all of Early Operational Capability (EOC) missiles no later than this year, as confirmed by the vice President of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Jay Price.

The PrSM is a next-generation, long-range precision-strike missile designed for the US Army that is able to deliver enhanced capabilities to attack, neutralize, suppress, and destroy targets using missile-delivered indirect fires out to 499+ km. As officially presented, PrSM offers artillery units a new long-range capability supporting brigade, division, corps, Army, theater, Joint, and Coalition forces with increased range, lethality, survivability, and missile load out. Being a critical capability for the successful execution of fires in support of combined Joint All-Domain Operations, the weapon system is one of the highest priorities for the US Army. At this stage, only a few of the specifics of the weapon system have been published by LM: it should have 2 rounds per launch pod, open systems architecture for maximum affordability and flexibility, Insensitive Munition (IM) energetic payload, and it will be compatible with MLRS M270 and HIMARS family of launchers.

The test followed a third production contract to produce additional EOC missiles awarded in September 2023. In the last week, some national specialized media announced that considering the crisis in the Middle East, the US could deploy their first PrSM systems soon in the area to secure their interests; the news has not been officially confirmed by any Defense authority.

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