In a milestone moment, the Army on Friday conducted a live-fire test of its precision strike missiles in Australia, the first ever west of the international dateline. (US Army )
The PrSM is the U.S. Army’s newest addition to its long-range precision fires (LRPF) portfolio, a triad of advanced strike systems that includes HIMARS-launched missiles, the mid-range capability platform and the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile.
While HIMARS has already proven itself in combat zones like Ukraine, where its ability to rapidly fire and evade counterattack has made it a prized system, the integration of the PrSM into this platform significantly enhances its strategic utility.
The mobile launcher can be deployed from C-17 and C-130 aircraft, a U.S. Navy landing craft and even from ships at sea, a capability tested in joint drills with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
Unlike the 90-mile-range Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS), which fires six missiles per HIMARS, the PrSM packs two missiles per launcher and can reach more than triple the distance.
Asked why the missiles were an important part of preparation for a potential war in the Indo-Pacific, Driscoll told reporters, "I think if you look at the way conflict is unfolding now, what is not being rewarded is large, massive presences with static locations and big footprints and signatures. What is being rewarded is the ability to be agile, hide your signature and move quickly."
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who observed the test at the Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia. (AP)
Australia does not permit permanent foreign military bases, but the U.S. is expanding its rotational presence at Australian sites. Australia and the U.S. recently led a major joint exercise in Sydney involving 30,000 troops from 19 countries.
It also comes at a time when Washington is reconsidering whether to sell nuclear-powered, Virginia-class submarines to Sydney through the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) deal.
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The three nations would jointly design a new class of submarines, with Australian production beginning in the 2040s.
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