The United States Navy has awarded an $86.2 million contract to L3Harris Technologies to supply the new Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM) to the Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters.
The weapon was developed to extend the range, precision, and survivability of these aircraft in increasingly complex combat scenarios, both on land and at sea.
The new munition will allow helicopters to operate from greater stand-off distances, delivering kinetic and non-kinetic effects against surface targets. The concept is to provide crews with more attack options from dispersed positions, including in contested maritime environments, while reducing exposure to enemy defenses.
Progress on the program follows years of testing conducted under the Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM) effort, which assessed the feasibility of rotary-wing aircraft conducting low-altitude offensive anti-surface missions. According to the Navy, the results of these demonstrations were decisive in the decision to begin procuring the PASM.
The contract was managed by the PMA-242 program office through an OTA mechanism, used to accelerate the development and introduction of new operational capabilities. Deliveries of the system, including training and support equipment, are expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2027, strengthening the Marine Corps’ distributed attack capability.
Source: Defence Blog | Photo: X @NAVAIRNews | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
More range. More precision. More lethality: The @USMC is fast-tracking the new Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM)! Following successful testing by #HX21 in 2025, the Navy has awarded L3Harris Technologies the contract to bring this weapon to our AH-1Z Viper fleet. pic.twitter.com/es0sccb2IC
— NAVAIR (@NAVAIRNews) February 2, 2026
