US Army requests $384m to buy 110 PrSM missiles with 500km launch range for HIMARS and MLRS

The US Army wants more than a hundred Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) in 2024. Further development of the missile is also planned.

Here's What We Know

PrSM is the missile that will replace ATACMS. It is designed for the M142 HIMARS highly mobile artillery rocket systems and the M270 MLRS multiple rocket launchers.

The FY 2024 draft budget calls for the purchase of 110 Increment 1 level missiles with a launch range of 500 km at a cost of $384 million. In comparison, the ATACMS ballistic missile can hit targets at a distance of up to 300 km.

Lockheed Martin does not plan to stop at PrSM Increment 1. The American manufacturer will continue to develop the programme. To do so, the US Army is asking Congress for $273 million for fiscal year 2024.

The main goal is to increase the maximum launch range of the PrSM to 1,000 km. This was announced by a Lockheed Martin representative at the AUSA 2022 armament show in Australia. Such a range can be achieved with PrSM Increment 4, but the future of the missile is still hazy. But 650 km is a realistic target.

Source: Defence News