A New Era of Anti-Ship Warfare

The United States military has confirmed that it is using M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to strike Iranian Navy ships as part of Operation Epic Fury. The disclosure marks the first known use of land-based mobile rocket artillery against naval targets in combat and represents a significant evolution in how the US military projects power against enemy fleets.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine revealed during a Pentagon press conference that American forces destroyed 50 Iranian naval vessels in the first 10 days of Operation Epic Fury using a combination of artillery, fighters, bombers, and sea-launched missiles. The reference to artillery was subsequently clarified as including HIMARS strikes against ships, though officials declined to specify which munitions were used or which specific vessels were targeted.

The Weapons Involved

HIMARS launchers have been observed firing two types of ballistic missiles during Operation Epic Fury: the Army Tactical Missile System and the newer Precision Strike Missile. Both are short-range ballistic missiles capable of striking targets at significant distances.

Key characteristics of the weapons include:

  • ATACMS can hit targets up to approximately 186 miles away with various warhead options
  • PrSM extends the range to at least 310 miles with improved accuracy
  • PrSM has made its combat debut during Operation Epic Fury, a historic first
  • An anti-ship variant of PrSM has been tested against moving targets in Pacific exercises

The use of PrSM in combat is particularly noteworthy. The missile represents the US Army's newest precision strike capability and was designed from the outset to engage a wider range of targets than its ATACMS predecessor, including moving surface ships. Whether the anti-ship variant has been used operationally remains unconfirmed by officials.

Operational Details

CENTCOM has released video and imagery showing HIMARS launchers operating in the region, and geolocation analysis of social media footage has identified HIMARS positions in Bahrain and evidence of missile launches from Kuwait. An empty ATACMS ammunition pod was reportedly discovered in the Kuwaiti desert by locals, lending further confirmation to the geographic scope of the operations.

The distances involved are significant. The shortest distance from Bahrain to Iranian soil across the Persian Gulf is approximately 120 miles, well within the range of both ATACMS and PrSM. From Kuwait, HIMARS could potentially reach targets across a wide swath of southern Iran and throughout the Persian Gulf.

Many of the Iranian ships struck appear to have been in port or at anchor rather than underway at sea. Standard ATACMS variants are not designed to hit moving targets, but PrSM's anti-ship capability could theoretically engage vessels that are moving. The operational details remain classified.

Strategic Implications

The use of HIMARS against naval targets represents a significant doctrinal development for the US military. Traditionally, anti-ship operations have been the domain of naval aviation, submarines, and surface warships firing anti-ship missiles. Introducing land-based mobile rocket artillery into the anti-ship mission set creates new tactical options and complicates the defensive calculus for adversary navies.

This capability has particular relevance for potential future conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region, where the US military has been developing concepts for using dispersed land-based missile units on island chains to threaten enemy naval forces. The operational validation of HIMARS against ships in the Persian Gulf demonstrates that these concepts can work in practice, not just in theory.

The ability to strike ships from mobile land-based launchers also provides a more survivable anti-ship capability than fixed coastal defense installations. HIMARS launchers can shoot and relocate quickly, making them difficult for an adversary to target with retaliatory strikes.

The Broader Naval Campaign

The HIMARS strikes are one component of a comprehensive campaign to neutralize Iran's naval capabilities. US officials have consistently described the destruction of Iran's navy as a core objective of Operation Epic Fury, and the methods employed have included strikes by carrier-based fighter aircraft, long-range bomber raids, sea-launched cruise missiles, and now land-based ballistic missiles.

The diversity of assets being used against Iranian naval targets reflects the US military's approach of attacking from multiple directions simultaneously, overwhelming defensive capabilities and ensuring that no safe harbor exists for Iranian vessels. Images have shown Iranian ships burning in port, suggesting that even berthed vessels are being systematically targeted.

PrSM's Combat Debut

CENTCOM has explicitly confirmed the first-ever combat use of the Precision Strike Missile during Operation Epic Fury, describing it as providing an unrivaled deep strike capability. The missile entered service relatively recently and was designed to replace ATACMS with greater range, improved accuracy, and the ability to engage moving targets including ships.

The combat validation of PrSM is significant for the US Army's modernization strategy, which has placed enormous emphasis on long-range precision fires as a key capability for future conflicts. Demonstrating that the weapon works as intended in actual combat conditions provides confidence in the billions of dollars invested in its development and confirms its value as a centerpiece of the Army's future force structure.

This article is based on reporting by twz.com. Read the original article.