The US military has fired land-based missiles in the war against Iran, marking a significant shift in the conflict. The Precision Strike Missiles and Atacms missiles, developed by Lockheed Martin, have been used to target Iranian vessels and a submarine in port.
The use of land-based missiles reflects the Pentagon's growing reliance on these systems in its war plans. The missiles can travel 200 to 300 miles and are highly accurate, with satellite-guidance systems making them useful for striking stationary targets.
The Army is also developing a hypersonic missile with a range of over 1,000 miles that travels at five times the speed of sound. The use of different types of weapons that hit targets from multiple directions and trajectories is intended to blunt Iran's ability to defend itself.
The Pentagon's decision to use land-based missiles early in the war reflects its desire to use Army ground-based missiles in conjunction with Air Force and Navy warplanes as well as longer-range cruise missiles from submarines or warships to attack Iran.
The strikes on Iranian vessels from across the Persian Gulf were conducted with the same types of missiles the US is planning to use in the Pacific in case of war with China.
