HIMARS Reach to St. Petersburg? : The US Tests New Super Rocket with a Range of 1000 km

The American defense company Lockheed Martin and the US Army have successfully completed a key phase in the development of the engine for the PrSM Inc.4 missile. According to the company’s press release, during the Direct Connect Transition Test, "flawless control transfer" from the solid-fuel engine to the air-breathing ramjet engine was demonstrated. The testing took place at the L3Harris ground facility.

It is reported that flight tests of the PrSM Inc. 4 ballistic missile are scheduled to begin this fall. It is noted that thanks to the dual-mode engine, the PrSM Inc.4 ballistic missile can be used without any obstacles from the existing M142 HIMARS or M270 launchers.

Lockheed Martin also emphasizes that due to the innovative engine, the missile will be able to hit targets at distances of over 1000 km, although it was previously noted that the US Department of Defense (the so-called "ministry of war") had set requirements for even shorter ranges of 800 km.

From the perspective of Defense Express, it is worth noting that if such missiles were to be armed by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, then with HIMARS and M270, a wide range of important targets could be struck ballistically, including, for example, St. Petersburg or other locations.

However, it is unlikely that the supply of PrSM Inc. 4 is a medium-term prospect, as the US will primarily be concerned with replenishing its own stocks, especially since this concerns essentially new weaponry.

It should be noted that the latest PrSM Inc. 4 ballistic missile was first showcased in the US in October of last year, and currently, there are five modifications of the PrSM ballistic missiles.

In addition to PrSM Incr. 4, there is also the basic PrSM Increment 1 with a range of 500 km, the anti-ship PrSM Increment 2, the PrSM Increment 3 variant, which will experiment with warheads, and Increment 5 for drone launchers.

Recall that Ukraine is already using its ballistic weapons. These are missiles with a range of 800–900 kilometers. This was stated by the head of the charity fund "Come Back Alive," Taras Chmut. According to him, this ballistic capability has been used in combat conditions. However, he refrained from specifying the effectiveness of the missile strikes, as this falls within the competence of official structures.