Australia has chosen Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) along with the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) to strengthen its Army’s long-range strike capability.
The HIMARS system was selected over a competing proposal from Thales and Kongsberg, which offered the StrikeMaster system — combining Naval Strike Missiles mounted on a Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle introduced in 2022.
As part of the modernization effort, Canberra will also establish a second long-range fires regiment at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in South Australia. This unit is expected to boost the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) ability to strike targets up to 500 km, with future upgrades extending beyond 1,000 km in line with the 2026 National Defence Strategy.
Australia plans to invest up to AUD 37 billion ($26.5 billion) over the next decade to enhance long-range targeting and strike capabilities. In March 2025, the ADF received its first HIMARS system, capable of launching both Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets and PrSM missiles, assigned to its initial long-range fires regiment.
During Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, the system successfully conducted its first PrSM test launch two years ahead of schedule. It also recently fired Australia’s first domestically produced GMLRS missile.
Ahead of the formal selection, Australia and Lockheed Martin had already been working on integrating local industry into supply chains and sustainment activities. A June 2025 agreement between the US and Australia for the PrSM program ensures access to the missile and opens pathways for domestic production, maintenance, and industry participation.
Additionally, in March, the Australian arms of Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall began evaluating in-country sustainment solutions for HIMARS.
