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Lethal Weapon

PRSM PROVIDES THE ARMY WITH INCREASED RANGE, [ MISSILES ]
LETHALITY, SURVIVABILITY AND MISSILE LOAD OUT

Jay Menon

Lockheed Martin on March 10 successfully tested its next-genera-
tion long-range missile designed for the U.S. Army's Precision Strike
Missile (PrSM) program at White Sands Missile Range, NM. All objec-
tives were achieved in a flawless second performance following the
missile's inaugural flight last December.
"The flight test further demonstrated the reliability, precision and criti-
cal capabilities Lockheed Martin is building into the PrSM," said Gaylia
Campbell, vice president of Precision Fires and Combat Manoeuvre
Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The missile
performed exactly as expected and successfully engaged the target
with pinpoint accuracy." PrSM was fired from Lockheed Martin's
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher and flew
a nominal trajectory approximately 180 kilometers to the target area,
culminating in a highly accurate and lethal warhead event.

Test objectives included confirming the missile's flight trajectory, USAF Buys JASSM-ER Missiles
range and accuracy from launch to warhead event, as well as warhead
lethality, HIMARS launcher integration and overall missile perfor- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin
mance. "This second consecutive successful flight test of Lockheed a potential USD818.2M contract to manufac-
Martin's PrSM validates our missile technology and confidence that ture a total of 790 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff
Lockheed Martin is uniquely positioned to deliver this important, Missiles for domestic and international defence
cost-effective capability to meet our U.S. Army customer's priorities," clients. Lockheed will provide 360 extend-
Campbell said. ed-range JASSMs to the U.S. military and
The next-generation precision-strike, surface-to-surface weapon another 40 missiles to foreign military sales cus-
system will deliver enhanced capabilities for attacking, neutralizing, tomers under lot 17 production work, according
suppressing and destroying targets at depth on the battlefield and to the Department of Defense. The company
give field artillery units a new long-range capability of 499 plus kilo- will produce 390 lot 18 JASSM-ER units. Work
metres, while supporting brigade, division, corps, Army, theater, Joint under the sole-source contract will take place
and Coalition forces. “PrSM provides the Joint Force Commander in Orlando, Fla., through Oct. 31, 2024.
with increased range, lethality, survivability and missile load out. These JASSM is designed with anti-jam GPS fea-
enhanced capabilities are critical to the successful execution of Fires tures that support the identification of fixed and
in support of Multi-Domain Operations,” Campbell said. relocatable targets. JASSM’s significant standoff
range keeps aircrews well out of danger from
The missile contains an insensitive munition (IM) propulsion system hostile air defense systems.
and IM energetic payload capable of defeating the PrSM target set.
It also features an open systems architecture design for maximum “A 2,000-pound class weapon with a penetrator/
affordability and flexibility, is modular for future growth and HIMARS blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM employs
and M270 compatible. precision routing and guidance in adverse
weather, day or night, using a state-of-the-art
infrared seeker in addition to the anti-jam GPS to
PrSM Specifics: find a specific aimpoint on the target. Its stealthy
• Two PrSM rounds per launch pod airframe makes it extremely difficult to defeat,”
• Ranges from 60 to 499 kilometers according to Lockheed Martin.
• Based upon Lockheed Martin’s decades of unparalleled experience JASSM is integrated on the U.S. Air Force's
in Precision Fires rockets and missiles B-1B, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E. JASSM-ER is
• Open systems architecture integrated on the B-1B, the F-15E and is currently
• Modular and easily expandable completing integration for the internal bay and
• IM energetic payload wings of the B-52H, and F-16C/D. Internationally,
• Compatible with both MLRS M270 and HIMARS family of launchers JASSM is carried on the F/A-18A/B and the
F-18C/D aircraft. Future integration efforts will
Designed to achieve the Army’s 499 requirement, Lockheed Martin focus on the U.S. and international versions of
has built PrSM with open architecture to ensure capability can easily Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft
be spiralled to achieve longer ranges. and other international platforms.

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