The United States has successfully test-fired a precision missile, showcasing its so-called “extended range flight capability” aimed at fighting island warfare in the Pacific Ocean.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese defense ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
General Charles Flynn, the then-commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific, claimed last February that he could threaten China‘s critical capabilities by placing a network of land-based fires on key terrains within the first island chain in the Western Pacific Ocean.
The first island chain, which extends southward from Japan to the Philippines via Taiwan, is a U.S. defense concept that seeks to leverage allied or friendly territories to constrain military activities by China. Tokyo and Manila are America’s treaty allies.
What to Know
The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1 flight test was held at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 19, the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Missiles and Space said. It was fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
The test demonstrated the missile’s contribution to the enhancement of the U.S. Army’s long-range precision fires capabilities, according to the statement. Its producer, Lockheed Martin, says the missile can strike targets over 499 kilometers (310 miles) away.
The PrSM Increment 1 was first delivered to the U.S. Army in December 2023, replacing the Cold War-era Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a flight range of up to 190 miles and has been utilized by Ukraine fighting against Russia.
The PrSM has three other increment versions, specialist outlet Breaking Defense reported, including a ship-sinking version, an enhanced payload version, and a version equipped with a new propulsion system for extending its range to 1,000 kilometers.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps held a HIMARS Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) training session in Japan on March 17, referring to a process of identifying a target, seizing key terrain, inserting a HIMARS, destroying the target and retrograding back to a secure location.
HIRAIN enables the rapid deployment of long-range fire in the Indo-Pacific region, explained the U.S. Marine Corps, which operates the ground-based missile launcher.
The U.S. and Japan have reportedly drawn up an operation plan in the event of a crisis involving China and Taiwan, which includes the deployment of HIMARS units in Japan’s Southwest Islands. Beijing has threatened the use of force against the self-governed island.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Missiles and Space said in a press release on March 19: “PrSM is the next-generation, long-range precision-strike missile delivering critical capabilities to attack, neutralize, suppress, and destroy targets, supporting successful mission execution via combined Joint All-Domain Operations.”
Lockheed Martin said on its website regarding the Precision Strike Missile: “PrSM is engineered for unmatched performance and adaptability to future missions. Our modular design offers an easy path to future growth. Future increments with increased capability will provide even greater flexibility to commanders.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen when the PrSM Increment 2, which is a land-based anti-ship missile, becomes operational as China is expanding its military reach and presence with the largest navy in the world by hull count, with more than 370 ships and submarines in service.
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