On Monday, 14 September 2026, the US Army Contracting Command (ACC) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, acting on behalf of the US Department of Defense, signed a framework agreement worth 1,211,234,988 USD with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of PrSM Increment 2 (Precision Strike Missile) anti-ship ballistic missiles, designated LBASM (Land-Based Anti-Ship Missile), to achieve Early Operational Capability (EOC).
Image: Lockheed Martin
As part of the procurement procedure, one request for proposals was issued and one offer was received. Work locations and funding sources will be determined for each individual task order, while the estimated contract completion date is 13 September 2031. The agreement is an IDIQ (indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity) contract.
The first full-scale test of PrSM Increment 2/LBASM took place on 12 March this year. Earlier, in late 2023, the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, tested a key element of the new missile variant: a multi-mode seeker capable of engaging moving targets.
The guidance system combines passive targeting and an electro-optical infrared sensor, supported by a conventional GPS/INS navigation system. The passive sensor is intended to be used during the terminal phase of flight to discriminate and select targets for engagement, while for most of the flight the missile would be guided conventionally, as in PrSM Increment 1.
Current work on this variant is focused primarily on its use as an anti-ship missile, although it could potentially be employed against other types of targets. It is worth noting that the US Army tested PrSM Increment 1 against a moving maritime target in June 2024 during a SINKEX event conducted as part of exercise Valiant Shield 24.
The use of a passive targeting system stems from the fact that the primary targets, namely surface vessels, employ numerous radar systems that generate electromagnetic emissions. The system is intended to detect and track the sources of these signals, while the infrared sensor supports guidance by detecting the thermal signatures generated by ships.
Such a combination of guidance methods in the terminal phase would also make the missile highly resistant to disruption by enemy electronic warfare systems, including those installed aboard the targeted ships. Multi-mode seeker operation would also allow the fusion of targeting data required to engage the target, increasing precision even against moving targets such as surface vessels. Another advantage is the higher flight speed of a ballistic missile compared with a conventional anti-ship missile, making it particularly difficult to intercept.
In addition, the passive targeting system could allow the LBASM/PrSM Increment 2 to be used as an anti-radiation weapon against radars, communications nodes or other types of electromagnetic emitters.
In summary, LBASM/PrSM Increment 2 will be an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) equipped with a maneuvering reentry vehicle (MaRV) warhead section capable of performing controlled maneuvers in the atmosphere and actively homing on its target during the terminal phase of flight.
Meanwhile, on 23 June this year, the same ACC command at Redstone Arsenal signed an IDIQ contract with a maximum value of 8,402,489,648 USD for serial production of PrSM Increment 1 missiles. The agreement had been announced on 25 March. On 7 July, the UK Ministry of Defence announced plans to procure these missiles.
At the same time, work continues on PrSM Increment 4, which will receive the separate designation LRMF and have a range of up to 1,000 km. The variant was previously known as PrSM-ER, for Extended Range. Firing trials have also been conducted from a prototype autonomous, unmanned Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (AML). To date, PrSM Increment 1 has only been exported to Australia, which has recently also approved the procurement of the Increment 2 variant discussed above.
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