/ world today news/ The American company “Lockheed” announced successful tests of the PrSM – Precision Strike Missile. They plan to receive these missiles in the first quarter of 2024. What are they capable of?
Successful trials
Test firings were carried out at the White Sands test range in New Mexico. According to the developers, the rocket was tested at minimal distances.
“Although hitting short-range targets is not the main task of the PrSM, it is the most difficult challenge, since the speeds are hypersonic,” the company notes.
According to the American portal “Breaking Defense”, it is about 85 kilometers. It seems that the US has achieved a major breakthrough – it is very difficult to shoot down a missile at such a speed.
More powerful and farther
Lockheed Martin is tasked with developing primarily a more advanced version of ATACMS. Hence the similar characteristics: range – from 60 to 500 kilometers, dual guidance system – inertial and satellite.
The ammunition itself is protected against accidental detonation. Each cargo container contains two PrSM missiles capable of simultaneously hitting two different targets. For launching, you can use the HIMARS and M270 systems, including those transferred to Kiev.
The developers claim that they have increased the payload – this will increase the lethality and expand the affected area.
Despite its high speed, the PrSM is not a hypersonic weapon. The missile does not have the ability to maneuver at several times the speed of sound. Approaches the target on a ballistic trajectory.
The first deliveries to the troops are expected before the end of the year. The Pentagon relied on 3,986 such missiles. Now, however, after the delivery of ATACMS to Kiev, Washington plans to increase the order.
Reserve for the future
The technology itself, as noted by “Breaking Defense”, will receive further development. More specifically, it is about creating a missile based on the PrSM with a multi-mode homing warhead for destroying ships. This is the LBASM – Land-Based Anti-Ship Missile project.
The third version, according to preliminary plans, will be able to take even more payload. In addition, work is being done to double the range – the Pentagon has ordered Lockheed Martin and their competitors from Raytheon and Northrop Grumman PrSM, capable of hitting targets at a distance of about a thousand kilometers.
Interest in the development has also been shown abroad. In particular, Australia has already paid 54 million dollars and signed a memorandum of understanding for the anti-ship program of the PMLN. The United Kingdom is also ready to join the project.
Lockheed Martin assures that their product will significantly simplify “multidimensional” combat operations – when not only ground forces, but also, for example, the Air Force participate in the execution of tasks. In particular, complexes equipped with PrSM can hide aircraft from the ground, striking the enemy’s air defense systems.
Until the first combat use, all this is in question. However, on paper, the Precision Strike Missile looks like a threat that every military in the world will have to deal with.
Translation: V. Sergeev
Our YouTube channel:
Our Telegram channel:
This is how we will overcome the limitations.
Share on your profiles, with friends, in groups and on pages.
#preparing #deploy #advanced #version #ATACMS #Ukraine
