Today marks one week since the war launched at dawn last Saturday by the United States and Israel against Iran, with a series of airstrikes in Tehran and other cities and retaliatory attacks on Israeli cities and in countries across the Middle East.

One element that stands out in the ongoing conflict is the first-ever use by the United States of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs), which was revealed by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the Middle East.

Specifically, CENTCOM announced in a post on X that the PrSMs offer “unmatched deep-strike capability.” Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the command, stated:
“I couldn’t be more proud of our men and women who are leveraging innovation to create dilemmas for the enemy.”

Although it has not been made clear from which location the PrSMs were launched or which exact targets in Iran were struck, the use of these missiles marks a significant development for the United States.

What the Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) are

PrSMs are long-range, high-precision missile systems manufactured by the American company Lockheed Martin. The company delivered the first PrSMs to the U.S. Army in December 2023.

These missiles have a range from 60 km (37 miles) up to 499 km (310 miles) and are compatible with the MLRS M270 and HIMARS launch systems, which were also developed by Lockheed Martin and are used by the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom.

The company emphasizes that PrSMs are highly flexible and can be deployed rapidly, giving armed forces the ability to respond immediately to strategic needs.

What makes PrSMs different

PrSMs were designed to replace ATACMs, which are launched from the HIMARS system and have a range of about 300 km (186 miles).

With the introduction of PrSMs, missile range increases significantly to 499 km (310 miles) without requiring any change to the launch vehicle.

Additionally, PrSMs offer double the missile load compared to ATACMs, since a HIMARS launcher can carry two PrSMs instead of just one ATACM.

The advantages they offer the United States

The use of PrSMs strengthens the United States’ existing long-range strike capabilities. CENTCOM confirmed that PrSMs were used in attacks carried out as part of a joint U.S.–Israeli operation in Iran called “Operation Epic Fury,” which began on February 28.

The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases lie within 400 km (250 miles) of Iran, making PrSMs a valuable tool for strategic operations in the region.

The significance of introducing PrSMs on the battlefield

The significance of using PrSMs lies in the fact that the capabilities of these missile systems exceed the limits set by the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty), from which the United States withdrew in 2019.

PrSMs can exceed the maximum 500 km (310 mile) range established by the treaty for land-launched missile systems.

The U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty opened the way for the development of such missile systems, further strengthening its strategic capabilities in the Middle East and beyond.