US Army - Lockheed Martin Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF)

[joshjosh]

CRS report "The U.S. Army’s Typhon Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System" updated 3/27/2025

 

[Scott Kenny]

SM-6 is expensive given the range required for anti-shipping in this area. You could probably spam about a dozen PrSMs for the price of 1 SM-6 IB.

PrSMs are on the order of ~500k? Because IIRC SM6s are only about 6mil.

CRS report "The U.S. Army’s Typhon Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System" updated 3/27/2025

We all know that the battery commander is going to be called "Papa Smurf"...

 

[Josh_TN]

PrSM I think 1.1 mil; sm-6 Ib is double Ia.

Far as i know typhoon uses Ia currently, though I presume little change is needed for Ib.

 

[Grey Havoc]

US Army plans Australia test of missile launcher that has irked China

Typhon, a mobile, land-based, ship-sinking missile capability, will be fired during the Talisman Sabre exercise with Australia in the summer.

www.defensenews.com

 

[bobbymike]

Japan, Philippines, S. Korea and Australia (can be others) should have a few thousand anti ship missiles all that can attack through the entirety of the SCS. China’s entire navy should be at the bottom of the ocean if they move on Taiwan.

 

[Forest Green]

Japan, Philippines, S. Korea and Australia (can be others) should have a few thousand anti ship missiles all that can attack through the entirety of the SCS. China’s entire navy should be at the bottom of the ocean if they move on Taiwan.

They need plenty of air defence to cover those AShMs too.

Army awards nearly $5B contract for Precision Strike Missiles | InsideDefense.com

The Army awarded prime contractor Lockheed Martin a $4.9 billion contract to produce more Precision Strike Missiles last week, the Pentagon announced Friday.

insidedefense.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1906700514987024398

View: https://x.com/ColbyBadhwar/status/1906700514987024398

 

[NMaude]

Defense Updates has put out a new video about the PrSM:

The US Army has taken a major step in acquiring a crucial missile system.On March 28, 2025, the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal awarded Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with a ceiling value of $4.9 billion.

This major contract kicks off with a delivery order for 400 Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1 systems, representing a significant advancement in strengthening the U.S. Army’s long-range precision strike capabilities.

Carolyn Orzechowski, vice president of Precision Fires Launchers and Missiles at Lockheed Martin stated,“Lockheed Martin is committed to delivering this deterrent capability in support of the Army’s vision for a lethal and resilient force. Our team remains focused on advancing the production at speed and scale, ensuring the warfighter receives this critical capability to maintain peace through strength."

In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why PrSM is a breakthrough weapon system for the US Army?
#defenseupdates #prsm #usmilitary

Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:19 SPONSORSHIP - NordVPN
01:53 SUCCESSOR OF ATACMS
03:04 CAPABLITIES
06:17 ANALYSIS

 

[Forest Green]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1910905791537619085

View: https://x.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1910905791537619085

 

[Forest Green]

USMC's Tomahawk Cruise Missile Launching Drone Truck Eyed By Army

The Army is already fielding its own launchers to fire Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, but they are much larger and more difficult to deploy.

www.twz.com

 

[Forest Green]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1912698271555821626

View: https://x.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1912698271555821626

 

[kqcke for you]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1912777010344260018

View: https://x.com/lfx160219/status/1912777010344260018

 

[TomS]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1912777010344260018

View: https://x.com/lfx160219/status/1912777010344260018

Interesting article from 2024 touching on the Army's slow movement to consider the Direct Support Artillery Rocket (now Direct Support Fires Technology).

The author describes DSFT as a 4.75-inch (120mm) unguided rocket. I'm surprised it isn't at least trajectory-corrected, which would not require external inputs, but this approach certainly will be cheaper and perhaps the volume is sufficient to overcome the inherent inaccuracy of unguided rockets.

Time to Move Beyond Cannons | Small Wars Journal

In the US Army, a struggle with math is happening, particularly in the Field Artillery. For a combat arm which demands meeting the five requirements for accurate predicted fire (target location and size, firing unit location, weapon and ammunition information, meteorological data, and...

archive.smallwarsjournal.com

 

[kqcke for you]

Interesting article from 2024 touching on the Army's slow movement to consider the Direct Support Artillery Rocket (now Direct Support Fires Technology).

The author describes DSFT as a 4.75-inch (120mm) unguided rocket. I'm surprised it isn't at least trajectory-corrected, which would not require external inputs, but this approach certainly will be cheaper and perhaps the volume is sufficient to overcome the inherent inaccuracy of unguided rockets.

Time to Move Beyond Cannons | Small Wars Journal

In the US Army, a struggle with math is happening, particularly in the Field Artillery. For a combat arm which demands meeting the five requirements for accurate predicted fire (target location and size, firing unit location, weapon and ammunition information, meteorological data, and...

archive.smallwarsjournal.com

But didnt they first report that it is guided ? I tought it would be similiar to GMLRS-ER like a minimi version but thats then wrong. That said what range is even the goal because even volume gets inaccurated enough at some distance.

 

[TomS]

But didnt they first report that it is guided ? I tought it would be similiar to GMLRS-ER like a minimi version but thats then wrong. That said what range is even the goal because even volume gets inaccurated enough at some distance.

I can't find any reports of DSFT being guided. We speculated about guidance on another thread I can't find right now, but that was just us speculating, and possibly/likely being wrong.

The reporting I would talks about 30 rockets (per pod, probably) to 34-40km. Sounds like there might be competition between a rocket using the Anduril 4.75-inch (120mm) motor and a Lockheed 5-inch rocket based on their new JR3 Reduced Range Practice Rocket.

US Army wants to aggressively amass cheap rockets

The Army is working on emerging requirements for cheap rockets and ways to build them at a large scale.

www.defensenews.com

Smaller Rockets To Provide Key Artillery Firepower Boost Sought By Army

Smaller artillery rockets can greatly increase the magazine depth of existing launchers and blanket large areas in destruction.

www.twz.com

 

[kqcke for you]

I can't find any reports of DSFT being guided. We speculated about guidance on another thread I can't find right now, but that was just us speculating, and possibly/likely being wrong.

Yeah here and you're right
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/m270-mlrs-and-m142-himars-developments.39660/page-15

The reporting I would talks about 30 rockets (per pod, probably) to 34-40km.

More we see shorter rockets already achieving that range with the same form factor and with an 3D printed ALITEC fuel based motor probaly even something akin to 60km is possible (give or take warhead size.

Sounds like there might be competition between a rocket using the Anduril 4.75-inch (120mm) motor and a Lockheed 5-inch rocket based on their new JR3 Reduced Range Practice Rocket.

US Army wants to aggressively amass cheap rockets

The Army is working on emerging requirements for cheap rockets and ways to build them at a large scale.

www.defensenews.com

Smaller Rockets To Provide Key Artillery Firepower Boost Sought By Army

Smaller artillery rockets can greatly increase the magazine depth of existing launchers and blanket large areas in destruction.

www.twz.com

Very interresting. Hopefully we see more quickly

 

[Forest Green]

Lockheed Pitches Containerized Launchers To Help Close Australia's Air And Missile Defense Gaps

Lockheed Martin is offering containerized launchers to Australia as it pushes to acquire sorely needed longer-range air and missile defenses.

www.twz.com

 

[Forest Green]

U.S. Deploys Anti-Ship Missiles Near Taiwan in the Luzon Strait - Naval News

U.S. Marine Corps anti-ship missiles will deploy to the Luzon Strait between the Philippines and Taiwan in Balikatan 2025.

www.navalnews.com

 

[Hanse]

I can't find any reports of DSFT being guided. We speculated about guidance on another thread I can't find right now, but that was just us speculating, and possibly/likely being wrong.

The reporting I would talks about 30 rockets (per pod, probably) to 34-40km. Sounds like there might be competition between a rocket using the Anduril 4.75-inch (120mm) motor and a Lockheed 5-inch rocket based on their new JR3 Reduced Range Practice Rocket.

US Army wants to aggressively amass cheap rockets

The Army is working on emerging requirements for cheap rockets and ways to build them at a large scale.

www.defensenews.com

Smaller Rockets To Provide Key Artillery Firepower Boost Sought By Army

Smaller artillery rockets can greatly increase the magazine depth of existing launchers and blanket large areas in destruction.

www.twz.com

Unguided rockets would seem to be a step backwards. If the payload was guided though. . . Maybe they could use it to drop in done swarm components?

 

[Josh_TN]

Unguided rockets would seem to be a step backwards. If the payload was guided though. . . Maybe they could use it to drop in done swarm components?

Does not seem to incur much advantage over just launching from jeeps and helicopters farther forward. Probably would also require a custom UAV designed for that acceleration profile. I can’t imagine the ALE drones are that robust.

 

[TomS]

Unguided rockets would seem to be a step backwards. If the payload was guided though. . . Maybe they could use it to drop in done swarm components?

This seems like a reversion to the use of MLRS as a "grid square eraser," whereas GMLRS became more of a "sniper" tool than an area suppression weapon.

 

[Hanse]

This seems like a reversion to the use of MLRS as a "grid square eraser," whereas GMLRS became more of a "sniper" tool than an area suppression weapon.

"Black Rain"

 

[Forest Green]

This seems like a reversion to the use of MLRS as a "grid square eraser," whereas GMLRS became more of a "sniper" tool than an area suppression weapon.

Yep, sniping is good for taking out key systems but if you have an advancing army you need the old grid square removal approach.

 

[Josh_TN]

This seems like a reversion to the use of MLRS as a "grid square eraser," whereas GMLRS became more of a "sniper" tool than an area suppression weapon.

I would argue the better solution is just to use the original cluster munitions or an updated version there of. If the 5” rocket idea is unguided it just sounds like BM-21-Sam.

 

[TomS]

I would argue the better solution is just to use the original cluster munitions or an updated version there of. If the 5” rocket idea is unguided it just sounds like BM-21-Sam.

It basically is, but with the advantage of being podded and thus rapidly reloadable. Both Puls and Chunmoo have similar rockets, and the Israelis even have a 122mm rocket in MLRS pods already.

 

[Josh_TN]

It basically is, but with the advantage of being podded and thus rapidly reloadable. Both Puls and Chunmoo have similar rockets, and the Israelis even have a 122mm rocket in MLRS pods already.

Do these improve on the accuracy of the Russian ripple fire systems?

 

[kqcke for you]

Do these improve on the accuracy of the Russian ripple fire systems?

I mean modern 122mm rockets (serbian g2000 for example) have ~1% cep of the max range (If i understand it right) which puts them at a cep of 400m. Now with the right FCS system we probaly can make even tighter shots but remember guys a Grad has less than 3m long missiles. We can co to ~4m so mutch higher payload on the same range (40km), higher range with same payload or both.

 

[bring_it_on]

I mean modern 122mm rockets (serbian g2000 for example) have ~1% cep of the max range (If i understand it right) which puts them at a cep of 400m. Now with the right FCS system we probaly can make even tighter shots but remember guys a Grad has less than 3m long missiles. We can co to ~4m so mutch higher payload on the same range (40km), higher range with same payload or both.

Army's requirements seem to be between 120 mm mortar and 155 mm HE round for lethality at ranges exceeding current 155 mm tube artillery. There will be guided versions of this round as well. Not sure if those will be canisterized but the initial rounds will be hand loaded.

 

[kqcke for you]

Army's requirements seem to be between 120 mm mortar and 155 mm HE round for lethality at ranges exceeding current 155 mm tube artillery.

Kay so the warhead of the G2000 seems enough? Which with fuzing is around 19kg but (only?) uses TNT with an "lethal area" of 25m (i assume 100% lethal which put its at an 625m² area. Which puts it around there i guess (if the data of the picture is right). Yes thats not the designer but it shows that most of the extra space could go to the engine for even more range.