Surprise: U.S. Army Testing ATACMS Replacement
The MGM-140 ATACMS has proven vital for Ukraine, allowing strikes deep into Russian territory, but the U.S. military is transitioning to its replacement: the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
What You Need to Know: The MGM-140 ATACMS has proven vital for Ukraine, allowing strikes deep into Russian territory, but the U.S. military is transitioning to its replacement: the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
-Developed by Lockheed Martin, the PrSM boasts superior range (400+ kilometers), enhanced accuracy with GPS and anti-jamming capabilities, and the ability to carry more missiles per pod compared to the ATACMS.
-It is a key component of the U.S. Army's long-range precision fire modernization. While ATACMS still play a critical role, the system is aging, and older stockpiles could see effective use in Ukraine before they are phased out.
Meet PrSM: The ATACMS Replacement Revolutionizing Long-Range Strikes
Ukraine fired a wave of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at targets in Russia for the first time this week – resulting in a harsh rebuke from Moscow. Though the long-range missiles have greatly enhanced Ukraine's ability to strike Russian military targets, the platform is far from new, having first been employed during 1991's Operation Desert Storm in Iraq – and later used in 2003's Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Though the ATACMS has allowed Kyiv's forces to hit deeper into Russian territory, the U.S. military has been actively developing the ATACMS' replacement – the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
Meet the PrSM
This new system promises to be capable of neutralizing targets out to more than 400 kilometers (250 miles), while the new surface-to-surface weapon features an open systems architecture design for maximum affordability and flexibility. It was designed to be modular for future growth, while still compatible with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
It was a year ago that the PrSM was first fired from a HIMARS launcher to hit a target set, but instead of looking for distance that test in November 2023 was meant to demonstrate the system's accuracy from launch to impact. Lockheed Martin, which has been developing the PrSM, announced this week that it had successfully completed the latest production qualification flight test.
During the test, which was conducted at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, saw a HIMARS launch a pair of PrSMs. The mid-range flight was meant to test the platform's accuracy and readiness.
"PrSM demonstrates exceptional system performance and reliability," said Carolyn Orzechowski, vice president of Precision Fires Launchers and Missiles at Lockheed Martin.
"We continue to advance this credible deterrent, integrating 21st Century Security technologies into the baseline and future variants in support of cross domain and maritime operations," she added.
Improving on the ATACMS
Given the capabilities of the combat-proven ATACMS, questions have been raised as to why a replacement is required.
"The two major differences between the ATACMS and PrSM today are range and loadout quantities," Darrell Ames, Pentagon public affairs officer, explained earlier this year. "The PrSM has doubled the loadout capability per pod and has a significantly greater range capability."
As noted, the PrSM was also designed to be far more accurate. As Army Recognition reported, its accuracy is achieved via integrated advanced guidance systems that provide GPS along with inertial navigation, while it is also equipped with anti-jamming capabilities. More precise targeting can reduce collateral damage but also provide greater resilience to electronic warfare (EW) systems. This makes the PrSM more combat effective.
"PrSM is … designed to neutralize, suppress and destroy critical and time-sensitive area and point targets at ranges greater than 400 kilometers," Ames added. "It is a key enabler for the Army's long-range precision fires modernization priority. It doubles the magazine capacity and extends range by 50 percent."
What About the ATACMS Stockpiles?
The U.S. still maintains a stockpile of older ordnance, but the U.S. military noted that such platforms don't age like fine wine. The systems have a shelf life, and as a result, can lose their reliability over time.
"[These missiles] are already past their prime, so we need to make sure they are still reliable, they still work, and they have the impact pattern and can reach the distances we need so we can still use them," Mia Fitch, test officer with the White Sands Missile Range Materiel Test Directorate, also explained this past summer.
Fitch also explained that Lockheed Martin engineers said the stockpile of missiles "represented some of the oldest ATACMS missiles still in the Army's inventory, which made them older than many of the soldiers operating the launchers.
While tests have been conducted to ensure their reliability, this is a reminder that ordnance provided to Ukraine would likely be destroyed otherwise. Perhaps the ATACMS that past their proverbial sell-by date should be sent to Ukraine – where they're certain to find good use.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.
From the Vault
