Domain range

US military considers precision missile a multi-domain weapon

The Army Test fired its new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) during its Project Convergence 21 exercise in the Arizona desert as part of an effort to establish the weapon as multi-domain .

The PrSM, which broke new range records in a test earlier this year, is designed as a long-range precision weapon capable of destroying targets on land or at sea. These capabilities were tested at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona.

PrSM broke new records during a test at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The weapon changes the paradigm of ground warfare by bringing new ranges and precision against enemy ground installations, equipment, air defenses, command and control structures, and even moving targets.

Although initially designed as a land attack weapon to outrun the opposition and destroy enemy installations, armored columns and air defenses, the PrSM can also be used as a land-based maritime attack system to destroy enemy surface ships.

“The long-term missile solution for the military is to attack all areas, including sea and land… it’s PrSM,” the brigadier said. Gen. John Rafferty, Long Range Precision Fires Cross-functional Functional Team Director, Army Futures Command.

PrSM maker Lockheed Martin said in a statement the test firing at Vandenberg exceeded previously achieved ranges and traveled more than four hundred kilometers. The weapon is now going through the engineering, manufacturing and development phase, a key testing and development stage intended to prepare the weapon for deployment in 2023.

“In the future, we want to bring in more shooters and develop somehow,” said General John Murray, commander of Army Futures Command. National interest many months ago. “And it’s about scaling, isn’t it?” So, you know, how, how far can we extend the network? How far can we extend their scale in the number of shooters we bring? And how far can we scale the number of sensors? Because you’re going to hit an upper limit at some point. So what is this upper limit? And you know, how does that work in a contested environment? “

As multi-domain networking technologies continue to increase and strengthen, the Army is expected to find new applications and targeting possibilities for its PrSM, a weapon developed in the wake of the Russian breach. of the INF Treaty. Following Russia’s violation of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which previously imposed limitations on medium-range missiles, the US military began testing and developing a number of firearms. ground capable of attacking at these ranges.

A weapon with a range of around five hundred kilometers brings medium-range attack capability to places like Europe, home to many allied countries of the United States. The missile is intended to endanger an approaching force while being less at risk of an enemy strike or counterattack.

Kris Osborn is the defense editor for the National interest. Osborn previously served in the Pentagon as a highly trained expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army – Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. Osborn also worked as an on-air presenter and military specialist on national television networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also holds an MA in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: U.S. Army Flickr.