July 6 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $73.8 million contract for work on Phase 2 of the U.S. Army's Long Range Precision Fires battlefield missile program.

Phase 2 of the program includes technology development to produce a prototype missile and its two-missile Launch Pod Missile Containers for transport and mounting on compatible missile launchers.


"We intend to demonstrate to our Army customer that our LRPF solution will be the most cost-effective, precise and reliable munition to meet their future long-range," vice president of Precision Fires for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Scott Greene said in a news release.

Lockheed will test multiple missile prototypes and variants over the 36-month course of Phase 2 development. Raytheon is also developing prototypes for the program.

The LRPF missile will be a precision-guided surface-to-surface tactical missile that can be launched from the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

It will have a range of more than 300 miles and be able to carry penetrating high-explosive fragmentation warheads. It will replace the current Army Tactical Missile System also fired from the MLRS and HIMARS. It is designed to pinpoint strikes on high-value enemy battlefield targets such as headquarters and infrastructure targets.