The United States military has confirmed the use of Lockheed Martin-built Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) in Operation Epic Fury in Iran, marking the system’s first combat use since it was delivered to the US Army in late 2023.“In a historic first, long-range PrSMs were used in combat during Operation Epic Fury, delivering unmatched deep-strike capability,” the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X (Twitter) on Wednesday.“I could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform for leveraging innovation to create dilemmas for the enemy,” CENTCOM added, quoting its commander, US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper.The post included a video showing a PrSM launch from an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Breaking Defense reported.
Precision Strike Missile
The missile shown in the video is part of the PrSM Increment 1 programme, developed to replace Lockheed’s MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), the website noted.Here’s everything you need to know about the Precision Strike Missile:
Lockheed Martin describes it as a “next-generation, long-range precision-strike” missile designed for the US Army. The PrSM is capable of striking targets at ranges between 60 and more than 499 kilometers.- A surface-to-surface weapon, the PrSM is designed to deliver enhanced attack capabilities, and to neutralise, suppress and destroy targets using missile-delivered indirect fires.
- In addition to M142 HIMARS, the system is also compatible with the MLRS M270 family of launchers. Each launch pod can carry and fire two rounds.
- The PrSM features an open systems architecture and a modular design, making it easily adaptable for future upgrades.
- It is equipped with an Insensitive Munitions (IM) energetic payload, designed to reduce the risk of accidental detonation.
