As part of the multinational exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, the Australian Army carried out the first launch of a PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) ballistic missile from one of its recently acquired M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The test was conducted at the Mount Bundey Training Area, located in the Northern Territory, and marked a milestone in the modernization of the Australian Army’s long-range strike capabilities.
According to the Australian Ministry of Defence, the missile struck a target located more than 300 kilometers away in just four minutes and three seconds, confirming the system’s precision and rapid impact capabilities. The launch, conducted on July 25, was executed by personnel from the 14th Regiment of the 10th Artillery Brigade as part of the biennial Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise. The drill, which concluded on July 27, involved 19 countries and over 35,000 personnel, including naval, air, land, and amphibious assets.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy described the test as a “significant milestone” in the government’s plan to increase the Army’s strike range by a factor of 25. He emphasized that this capability aims to bolster deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and prevent conflict through a credible show of force.
It is worth noting that the M142 HIMARS system used for the test arrived in March of this year, along with a second launcher, transported by Royal Australian Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. This delivery is part of a broader contract with the United States for the acquisition of 42 multiple rocket launchers. The agreement is a component of Australia’s National Defence Strategy, which seeks to enhance fire support, mobility, and long-range strike capabilities—key elements amid rising tensions in the region.
The foundation for these goals was laid in 2022 when the U.S. State Department approved the sale of an initial batch of 20 M142 HIMARS launchers along with munitions and support packages. In 2023, Australian authorities placed a follow-up order for 22 additional MLRS units, which was authorized for approximately USD $975 million, bringing the total number ordered to 42. These launchers will be equipped with GMLRS-AW guided rockets and the aforementioned PrSM ballistic missiles, which are set to replace the U.S. Army’s current ATACMS systems and were featured in the recent test.
Additionally, the launch took place in a broader context of growing U.S.-Australia defense collaboration. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 11, Canberra and Washington agreed to jointly produce, sustain, and further develop the PrSM program. This agreement will enable Australia to access the latest variants of the missile used by the U.S. Armed Forces.
Finally, this historic launch of a PrSM from an M142 HIMARS by the Australian Army reflects a new era of strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, where deterrence and the projection of land, sea, and air power are central to regional defense doctrines. Talisman Sabre 2025 served as a platform to showcase allied interoperability and Western military commitment in the region.
This year’s edition featured the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington of the U.S. Navy, joint flights of F-35 fighter jets from both the U.S. and Australia, the deployment of the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), and the launch of SM-6 missiles from the new Typhon ground-based system—once again confirming the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific theater.
You may also like: The U.S. completed the delivery of another batch of new M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks to the Australian Army
