Two PrSMs were launched in a mid-range flight against a set target proving the system’s continued accuracy and readiness. Meant to eventually replace the MGM-140 ATACMS, PrSM is the Army’s next-generation, long-range tactical guided surface attack weapon capable of neutralizing targets out to more than 400 km.The contract was worth $219 million and will cover the production of an unspecified quantity of EOC PrSM weapons. Lockheed Martin delivered the first missiles in Dec. 2023 following a successful production qualification test a month prior.Meant to eventually replace the ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), PrSM has been described as the Army’s next-generation, long-range tactical guided surface attack weapon capable of neutralizing targets out to more than 400 km. The all-weather, guided missile can be fired from both the M270A1 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) and the M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System).Regarding the latest test, the statement added that the two PrSMs were launched in a “mid-range flight against a set target proving the system’s continued accuracy and readiness.” The test saw the weapons being employed by a HIMARS launcher.Defense News added that the test also “included having an operator in the cab to prove out soldier safety requirements during firing for the first time.” Also, the double shot capability was needed “per Army doctrine that requires two missiles to be fired at a target in operations in order to effectively guarantee hitting an incoming threat target.”In its own statement, the Army said that preliminary results from the test indicate the PrSM Inc 1 missiles performed nominally across all test objectives, including predicted flight trajectory, range, lethality, engagement angle, and warhead performance.As the replacement for the MGM-140 ATACMS, the PrSM can strike air defense systems, missile launchers, command and control (C2) nodes, troop assembly/staging areas at ranges of more than 400 kilometers. Its open systems architecture allows accommodating future growth as new technologies become available. A key feature is its slightly thinner girth compared to the ATACMS, allowing space for an additional PrSM in an HIMARS pod, where only one ATACMS could fit.The Army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology Doug Bush had previously said that “the PrSM will provide Joint Force Commanders with a 24/7, all-weather capability that will counter the enemy’s ability to conduct combat maneuver and air defense operations.” This suggests a SEAD/DEAD (Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defense) role, with Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Networked Targeting Pod possibly having a role in the mix.Along with the LRHW (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon), the PrSM forms one component of the U.S. Army’s MDTF (Multi-Domain Task Force). The LRHW, also known as Dark Eagle, and the PrSM can reach ranges of 2,776 km and 400- 500 km, respectively. The other component is the MRC (Mid-Range Capabilities) Typhon system, comprising the SM-6 (Standard Missile-6) tweaked for surface strikes and the Tomahawk LACM (Land-Attack Cruise Missile). Both have ranges of over 1,500 km.