PrSM Increment 2 in first flight test

The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) from Lockheed Martin is the future of the US Army’s deep strike capability. As the service wrestles with its role in the Indo-Pacific, PrSM Increment 2 is set to hit much more than ATACMS.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on March 16, 2026.

The PrSM Increment 2 from Lockheed Martin has completed a long-range firing test with its new multi-modal seeker. It flew 350 km, deployed protective covers, and captured performance data for system validation, the March 12 press release states.

Increment 2 is an important milestone for the US Army. It builds upon the ability of the Increment 1 missile by enabling the force to strike moving targets. Long-range missile engagements represent a host of challenges in any scenario. But those challenges are much harder to overcome if the target can move. 

This is because of the guidance systems used. An advanced cruise missile will generally take photos or video footage of the ground beneath it. Those images are compared to a database that is preloaded, helping the missile confirm it is on the right path. A similar process, combined with GPS and possibly some inertial navigation, will bring the missile onto its target. 

But that is generally only acceptable for a building or infrastructure. If the target is a ship, air defence vehicle, or tank, a seeker is required. A seeker will reacquire the target, providing that it has stayed within the seeker’s field of view. It can then issue course corrections to the missile, bringing it onto the target. 

There is a little way to go for PrSM Increment 2, with further flight testing planned this year. The Preliminary Design Review (which makes sure the system meets requirements) is currently underway. 

PrSM programme history

Having been underway in some shape or form since 2013, PrSM is now rapidly achieving maturity. It has achieved a number of milestones in the past two years: 

• March 2024: 4th production contract valued at $219 million for early operational capability missiles.
• December 2024: PrSM test fired by US soldiers in soldier-led first. 
• February 2025: Saw a production qualification flight test for PrSM.
• March 2025: Lockheed receives a contract worth up to $4.94 billion to produce PrSM for the US Army.
• September 2025: PrSM fired from M270 and M142 by US soldiers. Tests confirmed the system’s readiness and compatibility with the Army’s full inventory of platforms. 

If you would like to read more about recent developments with PrSM, check out the links below:

• US Army tests PrSM in soldier-led first – Calibre Defence 
• US soldiers fire PrSM from all platforms in milestone test – Calibre Defence
• PrSM production contract awarded to Lockheed – Calibre Defence

Calibre comment: The US Army in the Pacific

The Increment 1 PrSM does not carry a seeker, however, they have been used in ship sinking exercises. The Increment 2 development will dramatically improve their ability to find and strike Chinese ships and fleeting targets. This type of capability will be very important to the US Army’s Multi-Domain Task Forces. They have been tasked with degrading air defences and facilitating theatre access for the rest of the US force. A range of systems like the Mid-Range Capability – which can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles – have been developed, few are as mobile as a HIMARS with PrSM. Theoretically, the HIMARS PrSM combination should be deployable to most areas, providing the dispersed lethality deemed essential in the region. And, with the multi-modal seeker, it will dramatically expand the type of targets the Army can engage over the ATACMS it replaces. There is, of course, a big question over logistics and how those missiles are replenished. But for the time being, it is clear that the US Army will gain a very capable missile from the PrSM programme.

The lead image is a conceptual representation of the PrSM Increment 2 missile. Credit: Lockheed Martin.