Lockheed Martin, a major American aerospace and defense manufacturer, is expanding production of its Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) as demand from the United States and allied nations continues to grow, supported by new manufacturing agreements and investments in its missile production network.The company said in a statement that the U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) framework is making the long-range surface-to-surface missile available to allied nations, with international interest increasing as countries modernize their long-range strike capabilities.Production boosts target growing demandThe company plans to invest between $8 billion and $9 billion through 2030 to modernize more than 20 U.S. missile-manufacturing facilities to boost production. The investment spans multiple missile programs, including PrSM, Patriotic Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors.The expansion includes greater use of digital engineering, automated manufacturing processes, and supplier partnerships. In December last year, the company collaborated with manufacturing company Hadrian, which is supplying computer numerical control (CNC) machining to help shorten production lead times.The latest production push follows a framework agreement announced in March between Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Department of War to increase PrSM output. Under the agreement, the company said it expects to quadruple production capacity, building on a previously awarded $4.94 billion U.S. Army contract for the missile program. The framework also establishes the basis for negotiating a multiyear production contract, subject to congressional authorization.Lockheed said that at its Camden, Arkansas, facility, it had more than 115,500 square feet of dedicated PrSM production space with roughly 400 employees to support manufacturing. The company also outlined modernization work at facilities in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas to increase missile production.Offering longer range and improved precision while remaining compatible with existing launch platforms such as the M142 HIMARS and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, the Precision Strike Missile is being developed to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).PrSM debuts in Operation Epic FuryIn July last year, the U.S. Army awarded the missile program Milestone C approval, after which it entered full-scale production. This moved the program from low-rate initial production to full-scale manufacturing of the precision-strike missiles.During Operation Epic Fury, the joint military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February, the ballistic missile‘s first combat use was recorded. The U.S. Central Command confirmed in March that the missile had been employed operationally. The development marked a significant milestone for the program after years of testing and production ramp-up.More than a fortnight ago, the company was selected to develop and test a longer-range version of the US Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), designed to strike targets at least 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) away.The missile will use an advanced propulsion system supplied by L3Harris, which Lockheed Martin said could roughly double the range of the baseline PrSM.The PrSM Increment 4 variant is intended to engage moving maritime targets and relocatable land targets when launched from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).