The US Space Forces have published photos of October tests of a promising tactical hypersonic missile PrSM firing at maximum range. As he writes Breaking Defense, it is not known exactly how much it flew — the military lost contact with the missile after 499.2 kilometers.
The American company Lockheed Martin is developing a PrSM (Precision Strike Missile, high-precision missile) to replace missiles with cluster warheads of ATACMS operational and tactical complexes. ATACMS can fly at about three times the speed of sound and hit targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers.
PrSM will be able to reach a speed five times higher than sound, and its range is estimated at 499 kilometers. The missile has already been tested for accuracy and tested by firing at a short and maximum distance . The US military plans to adopt it in 2023 and purchase 2,4 thousand of such ammunition.
In November, the US Space Forces published photos of the PrSM tests for the maximum range, which took place at the Vandenberg base on October 13. The rocket flew at least 499.2 kilometers. It was not possible to accurately determine its range, because the telemetry equipment of the military lost contact after this mark.
Image Source: U.S. Space Force
Image Source: U.S. Space Force
Image Source: U.S. Space Force
It is worth noting that if a missile flies further than 499 kilometers, it violates the now expired treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. It prohibited the production, testing and deployment of ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
The US military is also developing other hypersonic missiles. Earlier we wrote about the successful flight tests of their hypersonic cruise HAWC.
Vasilisa Chernyavtseva
