A contract is expected to be awarded by the end of October to start a development program for the fourth long-range, surface-to-surface missile created by the U.S. Army since 2019 and the first featuring an ambitious, integral rocket-ramjet propulsion system. Several companies have submitted bids for the Precision Strike Missile (PRSM) Increment 4 contract. Lockheed Martin, which is building the first two increments of the rocket-only version of the PRSM, submitted a bid in September. Boeing and Northrop Grumman also sent offers to the Army. Raytheon has not confirmed whether it is competing for Increment 4, but it participated in the original competition for the baseline PRSM program. The winner will have the opportunity to develop the most advanced version of the mobile, medium-range PRSM. The baseline, 500-km-range (310-mi.) version of the PRSM now being developed by Lockheed is required to augment the 300-km range of an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) when launched from an M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), while doubling the loadout with two 13-ft.-long missiles per launcher.
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