Army awards Lockheed $1.2B contract for PrSM Inc 2 system
WASHINGTON — The Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.2 billion contract for the company’s “early operational capability” Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2 system, according to a Defense Department posting.
PrSM Increment 2 is the Army’s initiative to develop a missile with a multimode seeker capable of hitting maritime targets on the move. It’s also referred to as the Land-Based Anti-Ship Missile seeker, and is designed to travel up to 500 km (310.7 miles) in combat, as Breaking Defense previously reported.
According to the DoD posting Monday evening, Lockheed’s bid was the only one solicited and the only one received. The work locations for the initial PrSM Increment 2 capability will be “determined with each order,” per the notice, with work estimated to be done by Sept. 13, 2031.
Monday’s announcement comes after Lockheed successfully launched its first PrSM Increment 2 missile in February. The company said in a release at the time that the missile launched 350 kilometers (217.5 miles) from a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. The seeker involved in the PrSM Increment 2 has a new guidance system that allows it to “lock on to moving, time-sensitive threats,” the company also said at the time.
The Army used its PrSM Increment 1 capabilities for the first time in combat in March during the on and off again conflict in Iran. Since then, reports have surfaced that the US has used “virtually all” of its PrSM systems, as two sources told Reuters last month.
During the several months in which the on and off again conflict with Iran has continued, the Pentagon has signed a slew of framework agreements with vendors, including one with Lockheed Martin to accelerate the production of PrSM missiles.
The service has already begun drawing up plans for future PrSM programs. As Breaking Defense previously reported, Increment 3 will seek to add in enhanced lethality payloads while Increment 4, for which the Army has tapped a Lockheed team and a Raytheon-Northrop Grumman team, will fly over 1,000 km (621.4 miles). The Army is also looking for an Increment 5 solution that can fly more than 1,000 km and fire from an autonomous launcher.
The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.2 billion contract for the Precision Strike Missile Increment 2 system, designed to target maritime threats. This missile can travel up to 500 km and features a multimode seeker. The contract's work locations will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 13, 2031. This follows the successful launch of the first PrSM Increment 2 missile earlier this year.
- The Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.2 billion contract for the PrSM Increment 2 system.
- The missile is designed to hit maritime targets and can travel up to 500 km in combat.
- Lockheed's bid was the only one solicited and received for this contract.
- The initial capability work locations will be determined with each order, with completion expected by September 13, 2031.
- The Army has used its PrSM Increment 1 capabilities in combat during the conflict in Iran.