In mid-June, the United States Army employed its new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) for the first time to attack naval targets during Exercise SINKEX Valiant Shield 24. The launch took place from Palau on June 16, involving the 3D Multidomain Task Force (3MDTF) and the 1-181 Artillery Regiment of the Tennessee National Guard.
The exercise featured the deployment of two PrSM ballistic missiles using U.S Army AML platforms, with the primary objective of successfully sinking a moving maritime asset. Coordination for the exercise, along with other activities under Valiant Shield 24 in the Pacific Ocean, was conducted from the All-Domain Operations Center (ADOC) located in Oahu, supported by a battalion command post based in Japan.
Colonel Michael Rose, commander of the 3DMTF, highlighted the integration and operational advantages of exercises like Valiant Shield: “Valiant Shield allowed us to integrate with the Combined Joint Force and operate distributed in the theater. We were able to build new relationships and deepen existing ones. Valiant Shield and similar exercises in the region allow us to test our systems and processes, integrate new capabilities with our partners and allies, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of our multidomain capability, enhancing our readiness for war.”
This successful deployment marks a significant milestone in certifying the capabilities of the PrSM, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, which enhances the U.S Army’s long-range firing capabilities as it replaces the ATACMS. Initial testing of the system began in 2019 and continued over subsequent years, although those tests used HIMARS platforms and targeted terrestrial, not naval, objectives at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The PrSM, with a range of 400 kilometers, was first delivered to the U.S Army by Lockheed Martin in December 2023 after achieving short-range attack certification the previous month. Notably, its modular design allows for easy integration of updates as deemed necessary by the U.S Army. This capability also led to its selection by the Australian Army in 2021 for missile system upgrades, involving an investment of approximately $54 million to join the PrSM program as a partner.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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