US Army receives PrSM missiles
Test launch of the PrSM rocket
The American program to develop the promising operational-tactical missile PrSM is entering a new stage. After carrying out the necessary tests, the assembly of pre-production ammunition of a new type was established, and the first batch was handed over to the customer. The US Army will have to master these products and deploy them on existing missile systems. We are talking about the actual start of rearmament.
Stay on schedule
The development of a promising “high-precision strike missile” Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) to replace existing products of the ATACMS family started in 2016. The work schedule was scheduled somewhat ahead, and 2023 occupied a special place in it. By this time, it was planned to complete all the main stages of development and pre-production, as well as bring the rocket to the so-called. initial operational readiness. Some of these goals have been achieved, while other activities are being postponed to the future.
Beginning in 2019, the Pentagon and rocket developer Lockheed Martin conducted a series of test launches and fine-tuned the design. In mid-November 2023, they announced the beginning of the so-called. qualification tests, which should show compliance of the PrSM product with customer requirements. The first launch of this kind took place at the White Sands test site using the production M142 HIMARS launcher.
The rocket was launched in a normal manner and an unusual combat mission was envisaged. The launch was carried out at a reduced range. Its exact value was not reported, but it was noted that this is the shortest firing range for the entire test program. As in previous tests, the missile hit the intended target.
Main components of the PrSM complex
Following the next test launch, plans for the near future were clarified. It was stated that by the end of the calendar year the manufacturer would transfer the first batch of pre-production PrSM missiles to the customer. The army will receive them, master them and begin deployment to achieve the so-called. early operational capabilities.
On December 8, the US Army officially announced the receipt of pre-production products. The press release about this event recalled the importance of the PrSM project for the development of missile forces, its high potential, etc. At the same time, the number of delivered missiles and their cost were not specified. In addition, the topic of continuing deliveries and full re-equipment of combat units remained unsolved.
Limited success
Thus, to date, the PrSM program has gone through all the early stages and has successfully reached the stage of production and delivery of missiles to the troops. The Pentagon receives reasons for optimism and continues the necessary measures. However, he was not able to fulfill all his plans. The promising program has actually fallen behind the planned schedule, and we are talking about a significant lag.
According to statements at the start of the program, in 2023 the PrSM missile was supposed to reach the stage of initial operational readiness. This meant that the army had to have at least one unit capable of fully exploiting and applying the new weapon. However, in practice, by the end of 2023, only early operational capabilities had been achieved. At this stage, there is the possibility of using missiles, but there are a lot of restrictions, and obtaining acceptable results is simply impossible.
The Pentagon's current plans, adjusted to reflect testing progress and other factors, call for initial operational capability only in 2025. This shows how soon Lockheed-Martin will be able to reach full-scale production of PrSM products and secure the supply volumes needed to begin rearmament of batteries and divisions.
The US military budget for FY 2024, which, however, has not yet been approved, provides for the order of serial missiles of a new model. The Pentagon was allowed to order 100 products with a total cost of approx. $378 million. In addition, new contracts will be prepared under which another 1100 missiles will be manufactured and delivered in the future. The timing of such orders has not yet been announced. At the same time, the task has been set to increase annual production to 400 missiles.
Together with the first batch of PrSM missiles, the US Army received reason for optimism. However, in reality the situation looks more complicated. For one reason or another, the work was delayed, and the next key event within the program had to be moved forward two years. The process of full rearmament with the abandonment of ATACMS missiles is being postponed accordingly. These plans will only be implemented in the second half of the decade.
Big plans
In the coming years, the main task of Lockheed Martin within the framework of the PrSM program is the preparation and launch of production of serial missiles of the first modification. At the same time, it will have to continue developing new versions of these weapons with certain features and differences. Some plans of this kind have already been revealed.
Possible appearance of the PrSM Increment 4 rocket from Lockheed Martin
The existing and tested version of the missile is designated PrSM Increment 1. This is an operational-tactical class ammunition with a length of 4 m and a diameter (excluding planes) of 430 mm. The product is equipped with a solid fuel engine, due to which it should fly at a range of 400-500 km. High accuracy is achieved using a guidance system based on inertial and satellite navigation. PrSM is used with a transport and launch container of standard dimensions that can accommodate two ammunition. The missile carriers are the M270 and M142 complexes with appropriate software modifications.
The PrSM Increment 2020 missile has been undergoing testing since 2. It is as similar as possible to the base product, but carries a multi-mode homing head. The latter should improve accuracy and also make it possible to shoot at moving targets. In addition, the possibility of increasing the launch range is reported. It was previously planned that the Incr. version of the rocket. 2 will enter service in 2025, but in the current schedule these events have been shifted two years to the right.
The PrSM Incr rocket is expected to appear no earlier than the end of the decade. 3. This project provides for equipping missiles of previous modifications with new types of warheads. Due to several warheads and an increased launch range, this version of the complex is expected to be more flexible and effective.
In early 2023, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman received contracts to develop the next modification of the PrSM under the designations Increment 4 and Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF). This project, in fact, involves the development of a completely new rocket in PrSM dimensions. Such ammunition must have a launch range of at least 1000 km. The completion of the development and adoption of such a missile into service is expected no earlier than the beginning of the next decade.
ATACMS rocket launch
Reserve for the future
Work on the PrSM program has been significantly delayed, and key stages have shifted to the right by several years. However, even in this form, the promising operational-tactical missile is of great value to the US Army. Regardless of the exact delivery dates, it will significantly increase the potential of missile units. In the future, as new modifications of PrSM appear, this potential will only grow.
The fact is that at the moment the US Army missile forces have rather modest capabilities in the context of hitting remote ground targets. To do this, they can use missiles of the ATACMS family with a firing range, depending on the modification, of 160 to 300 km. At the same time, the rockets of these models have long been out of production, are very old, and in the foreseeable future their shelf life will expire.
The new PrSM missile has a number of important advantages and will be able to change this situation. Thus, it is newer than any ATACMS and can remain in service for the next several decades. It also surpasses existing models in range, accuracy and size of the launcher’s ammunition load. The new PrSM is inferior to ATACMS only in terms of the mass of the combat load, but this drawback is not considered fundamental. In addition, in the PrSM Inc. project. 3, it is planned to introduce new warheads and gain wider combat capabilities.
Thus, recent events in the form of successful qualification tests and the delivery of the first batch of missiles give the Pentagon reasons for optimism and allow us to count on further obtaining all the desired results. However, story The PrSM program has already shown that not all plans can be implemented on time, and a new revision of the schedule cannot be ruled out. First of all, the latest modifications of the rocket, the development of which is characterized by increased complexity, may face such risks.
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