The U.S. military will purchase 1,134 precision strike missiles next year, significantly improving its long-range firepower projection capabilities

The launch screen of the US military's new generation "Precision Strike Missile" (PrSM). (Photo: U.S. Army)

[Reporter Wu Zheyu/Comprehensive Report] The US-Iraq war has consumed a large amount of the US military's missile inventory. The US military will purchase Patriot and THAAD anti-aircraft missiles next year to hit a record high. In addition, according to the U.S. Army's fiscal year 2027 budget, the Army plans to purchase 1,134 "Precision Strike Missiles" (PrSM) and increase the M142 "Haimas" multiple launch rocket system procurement budget by more than 10 times.

The military news website "Army Recognition" reported that the U.S. Army requested approximately US$1.892 billion (approximately NT$56.7 billion) for the PrSM program this time, including a general budget of US$1.2 billion and an additional budget of US$692 million to purchase 1,134 PrSM missiles and related launch boxes.

The report pointed out that the biggest feature of PrSM is that it can load two missiles in the Haimas launch box. Compared with the Army Tactical Missile (ATACMS) which can only load one missile, the strike firepower of HIMARS and M270 multiple launch rocket systems is doubled. Future models will also introduce new seekers and anti-ship capabilities, giving ground forces the ability to directly attack maritime targets.

In addition, the US military has also significantly increased its Haimas procurement scale. According to budget documents, Haimas procurement funding will surge from US$62 million in fiscal year 2026 to US$746 million (approximately NT$22.4 billion) in fiscal year 2027, indicating that the Army not only hopes to increase its missile inventory, but also plans to expand the number of launch platforms and enhance long-range firepower projection capabilities.

It is worth noting that PrSM has gradually become a core project of the US military's "Long-Range Precision Fires" (Long-Range Precision Fires) modernization plan in recent years. The US military has previously put PrSM into actual combat verification in "Operation Epic Fury" and continues to improve the range and target types. According to previously announced plans, the future extended-range PrSM is expected to have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers and have the ability to attack surface ships.

In addition to PrSM, the U.S. military's fiscal year 2027 budget also includes multiple procurement projects such as 4,824 GMLRS guided rockets, "Medium Range Capability Missile System" (MRC) and "Long Range Hypersonic Weapons" (LRHW) to jointly establish a layered strike system covering the tactical, operational and strategic levels.

Report analysis shows that in the vast distance and dispersed deployment environment of the Indo-Pacific theater, the importance of mobile missile units continues to increase. In the future, HIMARS units equipped with PrSM can launch missiles from island chains, forward bases or dispersed positions to threaten enemy command centers, air force bases, logistics hubs and maritime fleets, becoming an important long-range strike node in the joint combat system.