Lockheed announces successful first test of PrSM

Lockheed Martin has completed the first test at White Sands Missile Range, NM, of its long-range missile designed for the Army's Precision Strike Missile program, the company announced today.

The PrSM was fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and flew about 240 kilometers to the target area, according to a company statement.

"Test objectives included confirming the missile's flight trajectory performance, range and accuracy from launch to warhead event, validating all interfaces with the HIMARS launcher, as well as testing system software performance," all of which were achieved, the company said.

Raytheon, Lockheed's competitor for the PrSM, has yet to announce a flight test. Raytheon has proposed its DeepStrike missile, which it has integrated into the Army's HIMARS and Multiple Launch Rocket System launchers.

Long-range precision fires cross-functional team Director Brig. Gen. John Rafferty said in October the PrSM could eventually reach a range of up to 800 km, following the dissolution of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which had a 500 km limit.

Rafferty said both competitors were scheduled to conduct their first flight tests by the end of the year.

"First, we'll get this base missile in the field that'll be somewhere beyond 500 km, when we sort out the real capability of that," he said. "So that'll be an urgent materiel release in [fiscal year 2023]."