What You Need to Know: The MGM-140 ATACMS has proven vital for Ukraine, allowing strikes deep into Russian territory, but the U.S. military is transitioning to its replacement: the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
-Developed by Lockheed Martin, the PrSM boasts superior range (400 kilometers), enhanced accuracy with GPS and anti-jamming capabilities, and the ability to carry more missiles per pod compared to the ATACMS.
-It is a key component of the U.S. Army's long-range precision fire modernization. While ATACMS still play a critical role, the system is aging, and older stockpiles could see effective use in Ukraine before they are phased out.
Ukraine fired a wave of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at targets in Russia for the first time this week – resulting in a harsh rebuke from Moscow. Though the long-range missiles have greatly enhanced Ukraine's ability to strike Russian military targets, the platform is far from new, having first been employed during 1991's Operation Desert Storm in Iraq – and later used in 2003's Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Though the ATACMS has allowed Kyiv's forces to hit deeper into Russian territory, the U.S. military has been actively developing the ATACMS' replacement – the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
This new system promises to be capable of neutralizing targets out to more than 400 kilometers (250 miles), while........