US Congress eyes $640 million boost for army's new medium-range ballistic missiles

The U.S. Army could receive nearly $640 million in additional funding to accelerate development and production of medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs), including anti-ship variants, under a new $150 billion defence spending package proposed by Congressional Republicans.

The draft legislation includes four separate funding lines for Army MRBMs, hinting at work on both upgrades to the existing Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and potentially new missile designs, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The PrSM, which is being developed in several increments, is set to evolve into longer-range variants capable of striking targets at sea and beyond 1,000 kilometres.

The Army has not fielded an operational MRBM since the Pershing II was retired in 1991. The proposed funding would help bridge the gap with China’s extensive arsenal of ground-based missiles, many of which are capable of targeting ships.

The new missiles could also be used to strengthen U.S. deterrence in Europe, with deployments potentially complementing the recent reactivation of Cold War-era missile command structures.

The package also aims to boost the U.S. defence industrial base and supports a wide array of advanced systems, including the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, F-47 and F/A-XX fighter jets, and President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defence initiative.

It signals renewed bipartisan urgency to expand the U.S. military’s long-range strike capabilities amid rising tensions with both China and Russia.

By Aghakazim Guliyev