Report: US Army just tested its new PrSM ballistic missile

The U.S. Army reported a significant milestone on Thursday, confirming the triumphant engagement of target objectives by the Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 (PrSM Inc 1) during the Production Qualification Test 1 flight at White Sands Missile Range on Nov. 13, 2023.

Preliminary evaluations from the test highlighted the exemplary performance of the Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 in terms of projected flight trajectory, lethality, near-vertical engagement angle, and height of burst. The comprehensive and final assessment report is expected to be available in December 2023.

This successful flight test validates the eligibility criteria for the acceptance of Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 Early Operational Capability missiles in 1Q FY24. Notably, these PrSM Inc 1 missiles are poised to supplant the Army’s existing inventory of ATACMS missiles, offering a substantial extension in both range and lethality for the Army’s long-range precision fires.

The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is designed as a surface-to-surface, all-weather, precision-guided missile, intended for launch from the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The baseline missile (Increment 1) is specifically tailored to engage a wide array of targets at distances surpassing 400 kilometers, primarily focusing on imprecisely located area and point targets.

Future increments of the PrSM program will prioritize enhancements in range, lethality, and the ability to engage time-sensitive, moving, hardened, and fleeting targets. This development aims to facilitate the destruction, neutralization, or suppression of targets through missile-delivered indirect precision fires.

The introduction of PrSM marks a pivotal advancement for field artillery units, bolstering their capabilities with long-range and deep-strike prowess. Its deployment will provide crucial support across various operational levels, including brigade, division, corps, Army, theater, joint/coalition forces, and Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, accommodating full, limited, or expeditionary operations.

Army’s new PrSM is set to replace the aging Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).