Washington, United States. The United States has confirmed it used Precision Strike Missiles in combat for the first time as the US-Israeli war against Iran approaches its first week. US Central Command said the missiles were deployed in Operation Epic Fury.
CENTCOM announcement and leadership comments
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, announced the first-ever combat deployment of the Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) in a post on X, describing the weapons as offering “unrivaled deep strike capability.” CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper said he was proud of service members “leveraging innovation to create dilemmas for the enemy.”
Operation Epic Fury and undisclosed details
CENTCOM said the missiles were used as part of Operation Epic Fury, described as a joint US-Israel operation against Iran that began on 28 February. The launch location and the specific targets were not disclosed.
Missile system and compatibility
PrSMs are long-range, precision strike missile systems manufactured by Lockheed Martin, which delivered the first batch to the US Army in December 2023. The missiles have a range of 60 to 499 kilometres (37 to 310 miles) and are compatible with the MLRS M270 and HIMARS launch systems, which are also developed by Lockheed Martin and used by US and British forces.
Differences from ATACMS and treaty context
The PrSM is designed to replace the ATACMS, which has a range of about 300 kilometres (186 miles) when fired from HIMARS. The PrSM extends that reach to 499 kilometres without requiring changes to the launch vehicle, and a HIMARS can carry two PrSMs compared with a single ATACMS. The PrSM range approaches the 500-kilometre limit set for ground-launched systems under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty; the United States withdrew from the treaty in 2019.
What impact do you think the first combat use of Precision Strike Missiles could have on the conflict?
