Raytheon announced today that the company successfully fired four Precision Extended Range Munition (PERM) 120mm guided projectiles during testing at Yuma Proving Ground. Three of the GPS-guided rounds reached the required range and hit within the required distance of their targets, according to a company release. One round was fired to the minimum range requirement, striking just a few meters from an off-axis target.
The four rounds, fired from the U.S. Marine Corps M327 120mm rifled towed mortar – also known as the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) – met all test objectives, according to Raytheon.
Marines from Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, test the Expeditionary Fire Support System M327 120mm mortar at Pohakuloa Training Area. The PERM round is being developed to provide a precision fire capability for the system. Photo taken by Navy Lt. Lt. Joshua R. Lebenson | 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment
“These firings, combined with earlier environmental lab and integration tests, demonstrate PERM’s maturity,” said Dr. Tom Bussing, vice president of Raytheon’s Advanced Missile Systems. “The testing also shows the high level of integration between the munition’s guidance, navigation and control functions.”
The EFSS is a mobile, quick response indirect fire system usually towed behind an Internally Transportable Vehicle. A precision munition for the rifled mortar was a key capability sought by the Marine Corps. PERM is designed to provide Marines with a lethal, extended range, high probability one-shot capability. Raytheon and Israeli Military Industries jointly developed the munition, and expect to deliver 42 PERM rounds for additional testing later this year.