US PrSM missiles in Iran strike killed civilians up to 50 metres away: Report

Smoke rises from a building damaged in the strike in Lamerd (AP)

The US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28 with strikes across the country, including an attack on the southern Iranian city of Lamerd that killed at least 21 civilians, including seven children, according to Iranian officials.An investigation by conflict monitor Airwars, reviewed and independently verified by The Associated Press, suggests that three US-made Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) were used in the Lamerd strikes.Airwars found that civilians were killed as far as 50 metres (164 feet) from the missiles’ apparent detonation points, while damage extended at least 170 metres (558 feet) in one case.The PrSM is designed to explode in midair and propel tens of thousands of dense tungsten pellets at high speed in all directions. Photos, videos and satellite imagery from the aftermath of the Lamerd strikes, analysed by Airwars and independently verified by AP, show buildings, streets and vehicles heavily pockmarked by a fragmentation pattern that weapons experts said is consistent with the missile’s capabilities.The US military has confirmed that it fired PrSMs into Iran but has denied launching any weapons at Lamerd on February 28.Six weapons experts consulted by AP, including two former US military officials, said they believed PrSMs struck Lamerd and considered the use of the missile near civilian areas unlikely to be appropriate.Michael Meier, a former US Army adviser on the laws of war, said it would be difficult to justify using the PrSM against a target in a densely populated area.What is the PrSM?The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is the US Army’s next-generation, long-range, surface-to-surface precision-strike missile, developed by Lockheed Martin to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).It is designed to attack, neutralise, suppress and destroy targets at ranges of 499 kilometres or more.The missile can be launched from the HIMARS and M270/M270A2 multiple-launch rocket systems. Each launch pod can carry two PrSMs, doubling the missile load compared with ATACMS.The PrSM uses an inertial navigation system with GPS and features an open-systems architecture and modular design, allowing it to be upgraded for future missions.Lockheed Martin describes its baseline warhead as an “enhanced lethality” warhead designed for the PrSM target set.The company says the missile is intended for targets including air-defence systems, missile launchers, command-and-control nodes, troop assembly areas and other high-value targets.