[Ryan Robertson]

FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS OR SO, THE U.S. ARMY RELIED ON ITS TACTICAL MISSILE SYSTEM TO BE THE WORKHORSE FOR LONG-RANGE PRECISION STRIKES. ATACMS ARE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. WHICH IS WHY THE UKRAINIANS WANT MORE AND IT’S WHY PRESIDENT BIDEN IS TRYING TO SEND AS MANY OF THE MUNITIONS AS HE CAN TO UKRAINE BEFORE HE’S OUT OF OFFICE.

BUT, NOT ONLY IS THERE HESITATION ABOUT HOW RUSSIA MIGHT REACT IF UKRAINE GETS AN INFLUX OF ATACMS, THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS THE U.S. DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH OF THE MUNITIONS FOR ITSELF IF A HOT WAR KICKS OFF.

BUT ATACMS ARE BASED ON COLD-WAR TECH, AND IN THE ERA OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION–WHICH MEANS A FIGHT WITH A NATION LIKE CHINA–THE ARMY NEEDED TO STEP ITS LONG-RANGE PRECISION FIRES GAME UP .

ENTER THE PRECISION STRIKE MISSILE, OR PrSM, DEVELOPED BY LOCKHEED MARTIN. IT’S A NEXT GENERATION LONG-RANGE SURFACE-TO-SURFACE WEAPON. IT CAN USE ADVANCED GPS FOR GUIDANCE AND IS RESISTANT TO ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE.

IT’S PUBLISHED RANGE IS AT LEAST 500 KILOMETERS, OR 310 MILES. MUCH FURTHER THAN THE ATACMS MAX RANGE OF 180-190 MILES.

THE PrSM IS ALSO SLIMMER THAN THE ATACMS, WHICH MEANS THE ARMY CAN FIT TWO ROUNDS INTO EACH LAUNCHING POD. AND THOSE PODS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES IN THE ARMY’S INVENTORY.

IN LATE NOVEMBER, THE ARMY AND LOCKHEED PERFORMED THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TEST OF THE PrSM’S DOUBLE-SHOT CAPABILITY. IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST TIME A PrSM WAS FIRED FROM A CREWED VEHICLE.

I SAY THAT, BECAUSE EARLIER IN THE YEAR DURING THE VALIANT SHIELD EXERCISES IN THE PACIFIC, THE ARMY SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED TWO PrSMS FROM AN AUTONOMOUS MULTI-DOMAIN LAUNCHER, OR AML. AND EACH OF THOSE MISSILES HIT A MOVING TARGET AT SEA.

LOCKHEED STARTED DELIVERING THE FIRST PrSMS TO THE ARMY IN LATE 2023, AND THE SERVICE BRANCH IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A PRODUCTION DECISION ON THE PrSM BY LATE 2025–MEANING THEY’LL DECIDE EXACTLY HOW MANY PrSMS THE ARMY WILL NEED IN THE COMING YEARS.

WHICH COULD BE A LOT, AND WILL LIKELY INCLUDE MULTIPLE VARIANTS OF THE WEAPON. SOME WITH ADDED LETHALITY. OTHERS WITH EXTENDED RANGE.

AT AN AUSA EVENT IN EARLY DECEMBER, SOME REPORTERS IN ATTENDANCE SAID THE ARMY DISPLAYED A SLIDE SHOWING IT WANTS A VARIANT OF THE PrSM WITH A RANGE OVER 1000KM. THAT’S MORE THAN 620 MILES, AND IS A LONG WAY FOR A MISSILE LIKE THIS TO FIRE. THE ARMY WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP THIS TIME OF MUNITION, BECAUSE THE TREATY BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES PROHIBITING THEIR DEVELOPMENT–BOTH SIDES SORT OF WALKED AWAY FROM IT.

SO, HOW WILL ALL OF THIS BENEFIT THE U.S. IN A FIGHT WITH CHINA?
WELL, IMAGINE THE ARMY HAS NUMEROUS LAUNCHERS ON ISLANDS ACROSS THE PACIFIC, AND BECAUSE OF THE SLIM DESIGN OF THE PrSM, THOSE LAUNCHERS CAN HOLD TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY USED TO.

NOW, LET’S SAY THERE’S AN AIRFORCE OR MARINE PILOT FLYING A STEALTHY F-35 IN ENEMY AIRSPACE. THE PILOT CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE SOLDIERS ON THE GROUND TO FIRE A PrSM AT A TARGET THAT’S HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY; KEEPING THE LOCATIONS OF BOTH THE SHOOTERS AND THE SPOTTERS SECRET FROM THE ENEMY.

IN A WAR, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO CREATE A LOT OF DILEMMAS FOR YOUR ENEMY, AND THE PrSM PRESENTS PLENTY OF THOSE.

FOR MORE REPORTING LIKE THIS, BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP, OR CHECK US OUT AT SAN.COM

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.