Northrop Grumman has successfully validated another rocket motor for the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1, highlighting steady progress in delivering propulsion for the U.S. Army’s future long-range strike system.
The solid rocket motor test was conducted at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia and confirmed the performance of the propulsion unit that drives PrSM, which is designed to provide Army forces with increased range, precision, and lethality compared to legacy missile systems.
As the propulsion supplier to prime contractor Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman has now completed 16 consecutive successful production acceptance tests, reflecting a strong record of consistency and quality in tactical missile propulsion.
PrSM plays a central role in the Army’s Precision Fires modernization strategy. The missile integrates seamlessly with the widely deployed HIMARS and M270 launcher families, offering extended range beyond ATACMS while enabling twice the missile load per launcher.
Northrop Grumman’s missile propulsion capabilities extend well beyond PrSM, encompassing motors for air defense interceptors and advanced booster systems for precision-guided weapons, demonstrating the company’s diversified propulsion expertise.
The program has recently transitioned from development toward full-scale production. In March 2025, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin a potential $4.9 billion IDIQ contract, including an initial delivery order for 400 PrSM Increment 1 missiles, setting the stage for long-term operational deployment.
Flight testing has kept pace with production planning. In October 2025, Lockheed Martin and Army teams carried out multiple production qualification launches at White Sands Missile Range, firing pairs of PrSMs from HIMARS launchers. During the same period, Lockheed Martin initiated efforts to ramp up production to as many as 400 missiles annually following the Army’s Milestone C approval and transition to full-rate production.
