Pentagon Long-Range Missile Program Seeks 1,000km Strike

The Pentagon has launched an unprecedented competition to develop the next generation of long-range strike weapons, seeking missiles capable of hitting targets more than 1,000 kilometers away while being fired from existing HIMARS mobile launchers. According to a report by Steve Trimble in Aviation Week, the U.S. Army recently published its requirements and position papers for the Affordable High Speed Strike (AHSS) program. Officials from the Army's Development Command (DEVCOM) emphasized that this represents an entirely new missile design from the ground up, not an incremental upgrade to existing systems like the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).

The initiative comes as global conflict zones grow increasingly complex and threatening, potentially reshaping what military planners understand about long-range fire capabilities.

The program's central requirement calls for range significantly exceeding that planned for advanced variants such as PrSM Increment 4, whose development contract was reopened this year. While the Army is simultaneously examining additional developments including PrSM Increment 5, the AHSS program stands independently with far more ambitious goals. Operational flexibility forms a core element of the initiative: the ability to adapt the missile for launch from manned HIMARS platforms would allow the Army to immediately integrate the new weapon into its mobile artillery systems already deployed in the field. HIMARS launchers, which stands for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, have proven themselves in various combat theaters worldwide, and incorporating such long-range missiles into these platforms represents a strategic leap forward in capability.

At the Space and Missile Defense Symposium held in Huntsville, Alabama, DEVCOM revealed two primary development concepts: a conventional ballistic missile based on traditional but powerful rocket propulsion, and an air-breathing engine—an advanced technology enabling exceptionally high-speed flight over vast distances.

The Senate Armed Services Committee asked questions which pointed to the possibility of incorporating technologies similar to the HACM hypersonic missile being developed for the Air Force, as well as ongoing collaboration with Australia. However, Army officials clarified they are not limiting industry to any specific propulsion solution, and companies are invited to propose the full spectrum of innovative concepts.

The central requirement remains range exceeding 1,000 kilometers—a distance that enables striking strategic targets well behind front lines. This capability is expected to provide the American military with significant advantage in future conflict zones, particularly against adversaries with advanced air defense systems.

Within its multi-year budget plan, the Army has allocated an impressive $246 million to advance the AHSS program during fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Official documents define the need for affordable, rapid, and relatively low-cost weaponry that provides lethal response against air defense systems and theater-level targets. The program emerges against a backdrop of significant challenges in the American defense industry, some of which were recently exposed in other projects.

Nevertheless, the Pentagon intends to ensure this process proceeds in a more controlled and efficient manner, with particular emphasis on evaluating the production capabilities of competing companies. If the program matures successfully, it could fundamentally alter the balance of power on the modern battlefield.