Raytheon Unveils Ambitious Long-Range Missile Project for Precision Strike Missions

Raytheon’s Long-Range Precision Strike Missile Development

Raytheon is at the forefront of advancing military technology with its development of a long-range missile tailored for the Army’s Precision Strike Missile requirement. This innovative weapon will enable the Army to deploy double the number of missiles using existing launch vehicles. Designed to be thin and sleek, it can fire two missiles from a single weapons pod, offering significant cost benefits. Moreover, this new missile boasts extended range, enhanced impact power, and superior guidance systems compared to previous models.

“We’re aiming to overhaul a weapon design that dates back to the 1980s,” stated Greg Haynes, a Raytheon manager driving the initiative for this cutting-edge precision strike weapon. “Missile technology has evolved significantly since then.”

Raytheon is accelerating its efforts on the DeepStrike^® missile, a sophisticated long-range precision-strike weapon. In 2018, the company modified its launch pod missile container to be compatible with the Army’s M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS launchers.

The capability to accommodate two DeepStrike missiles within an existing launcher signifies a monumental advancement over current tactical missile offerings.

“Many of these systems were produced in the late ’90s, leading to what we term ‘end of shelf life,’ where reliability becomes a concern due to aging components,” commented former Army colonel John Weinzettle, currently a program manager with Raytheon’s Advanced Missile Systems division.

The urgency for upgrades is intensified by the rapidly evolving landscape of global threats. “Adversaries are already armed with precision strike weapons that can deliver significant damage beyond the Army’s current striking capabilities,” Weinzettle emphasized.

Raytheon’s advanced precision strike weapon will be able to engage targets at distances up to 499 kilometers, primarily targeting fixed installations such as helicopter staging areas and fortified bunkers.

Revolutionizing Tactical Missile Capabilities

Current missile systems face limitations in size, payload, and range, making simple life-extension programs inadequate for addressing ongoing long-term threats.

According to Allen Horman, a Marine infantry veteran and business development manager in Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems, life extension efforts do not enhance the capabilities of existing missile inventories. “You remain constrained by larger rounds and single loadouts,” Horman explained. “Transitioning to a new missile program that doubles the loadout is significantly more cost-effective than traditional perceptions suggest.”

Although the DeepStrike missile is designed as a surface-to-surface weapon, it incorporates technological advancements from various Raytheon programs.

“It shares similarities with numerous missile designs we’ve developed for shipboard and air defense roles,” Weinzettle noted, referencing the SM-3^® interceptor and SM-6^® missile as examples. “We are leveraging technology from both of these projects in the development of DeepStrike.”

With a combination of expertise in missile defense and precision weaponry, Raytheon has engineered a missile that strikes a balance between capability and cost-effectiveness.

“One system can launch twice as many missiles, twice as rapidly—resulting in significant cost savings since it utilizes a single launcher with dual missiles,” Horman added.