The US military recently debuted the Precision Strike Missile in Iran, marking a new era of long-range warfare after decades of treaty restrictions, though reports of civilian casualties in Lamerd have raised urgent questions about its first combat use

The battlefield is changing and at the heart of this shift is a weapon that just made a controversial world debut. On February 28, 2026, during the opening salvos of a new conflict with Iran, the US military deployed its Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) for the first time.

While the military has touted the missile's "unrivalled deep strike capability," the debut was marred by reports from that a PrSM strike in the city of Lamerd hit a sports hall and an elementary school, killing at least 21 people. As this high-tech weapon moves from testing to the front lines, here is a breakdown of what it is, why it exists and the impact of its first use in combat.

What exactly is the PrSM?

The PrSM is the US Army’s next-generation surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Developed by Lockheed Martin, it was designed to replace the ageing ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), which has been a staple of the American arsenal since the 1990s.