Northrop Grumman has successfully tested another Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1 rocket motor, highlighting its expanding role in powering the US Army’s next‑generation long‑range strike capability.
Fired at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia, the test validated the solid rocket motor that propels PrSM, a system designed to give army units far greater reach and precision than legacy munitions.
Northrop Grumman provides the motor to prime contractor Lockheed Martin, and this was the company’s 16th consecutive successful production acceptance test, underscoring sustained reliability and performance in tactical propulsion systems.
PrSM is central to the army’s Precision Fires modernization portfolio and builds on decades of missile evolution. It integrates with widely fielded launchers like the HIMARS and M270 MLRS family, offering well beyond the range of its Army Tactical Missile System predecessor while doubling launcher payload capacity.
Northrop Grumman’s broader rocket propulsion business also supports shorter‑range rocket motors for air defense interceptors and advanced booster systems for guided munitions, reflecting the company’s diversified role in tactical propulsion.
Precision Strike Missile Developments
Over the past year, the US Army and Lockheed Martin have taken steps to transition PrSM from development into large‑scale production and operational use.
In March 2025, the army awarded Lockheed Martin an indefinite‑delivery, indefinite‑quantity contract valued at up to $4.9 billion, with the first delivery order for 400 PrSM Increment 1 missiles, laying the groundwork for sustained fielding of the system.
Flight testing has also progressed rapidly.
In October 2025, Lockheed Martin and army teams completed multiple production qualification flights at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, successfully launching pairs of PrSMs from HIMARS launchers — a key step toward full‑rate production validation.
In the same month, Lockheed Martin began preparations to ramp up annual production to as many as 400 PrSM missiles per year, following army approval of the program’s transition into full‑rate manufacturing and a Milestone C decision.
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