The Army announced Dec. 8, 2023, the initial delivery of its next-generation long-range precision fires missile. The delivery of precision strike missiles follows successful testing in November in New Mexico. (Darrell Ames/PEO Missiles and Space)
The Army has a new long-range missile at its disposal that can hit targets more than 100 miles farther away than its predecessor could.
The first shipment of precision strike missiles was received Friday, the Army said in a statement the same day. The statement didn’t say where the missiles arrived.
The weapon set to eventually replace the Army tactical missile system, or ATACMS, which the service has been using for over 30 years.
The newer surface-to-surface weapon has been designed to hit targets from about 40 miles to over 310 miles away, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Each launch pod contains two munitions, which are fired from M142 high mobility artillery rocket systems and M270A2 multiple launch rocket systems.
The Army announced Dec. 8, 2023, the initial delivery of its next-generation long-range precision fires missile. It is expected to replace a predecessor system, which has been put to use repeatedly by Ukraine in its war against Russia. (Darrell Ames/PEO Missiles and Space)
By comparison, the ATACMS launch pods contain a single rocket and have a maximum range of about 190 miles.
“The precision strike missile will provide Joint Force commanders with 24/7, all-weather capability that will counter the enemy’s ability to conduct combat maneuver and air defense operations,” Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said in the statement.
The missile was one of two dozen key systems that the Army set out to introduce in fiscal year 2023 to modernize the force. Military analysts say that its deep-strike capability is vital to countering new technology from Russia and China.
Earlier this year, the U.S. started supplying Ukraine with ATACMS missiles, which Ukrainian troops have effectively used to target airfields, ammunition depots and other high-value targets from a distance.
The Army didn’t specify how many of the missiles arrived Friday. In September 2022, the service ordered 54 from Lockheed Martin for $77.5 million.
The delivery follows successful testing last month at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., during which the weapons were fired from a HIMARS launcher at the shortest possible range.
That short-range flight test represented the most stressful environment for the system, as it required excellent trajectory control to align to the target at hypersonic speeds, Lockheed Martin said.
