A controlled artillery round that can hit targets from 120 kilometers away in GPS-denied environments was successfully tested at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems’ Long Range Maneuvering Projectile, or LRMP, was fired from an M777 howitzer platform using M231 powder charges during an August test, the company announced Monday.
The LRMP, a next-generation munition, is designed to extend the range and precision of 155mm artillery systems, the company said. The winged, precision-guided artillery round is highly maneuverable while in flight and can conduct controlled descents to strike both static and moving targets.
“This milestone reflects our commitment to delivering disruptive technologies for precision artillery,” Scott Forney, president of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, said in a company release.
“As the U.S. faces rising threats from near-peer adversaries and increasingly contested environments, affordable, mass-produced artillery is critical,” Forney said in the release. “LRMP meets that need while proving its ability to perform in extreme conditions and reshape long-range firepower.”
The LRMP can be integrated across all existing artillery platforms used by the U.S. military, according to General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems. The U.S. Navy awarded a contract to the company in December 2024 to boost the LRMP’s development for maritime use.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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