Overview
- L3Harris conducted a Direct Connect Transition ground test on June 3, 2026, that validated the handoff from a solid rocket boost to a ramjet sustainer at its Orange County, Virginia facility.
- The Direct Connect Transition is the critical moment when a boosted rocket must hand off thrust to an air-breathing ramjet without a gap in propulsion or loss of control.
- Company and defense representatives say the tested propulsion architecture is designed to fit existing HIMARS and M270 launchers, which would speed fielding by avoiding new launch platforms.
- L3Harris says it self-funded about two years of development for the propulsion work and representatives from Lockheed Martin and the Army’s Aviation and Missile Center observed the test, but formal selection and flight trials are still required.
- The test advances PrSM Increment 4’s push for much longer ranges than earlier increments, with program targets commonly cited as beyond 500 km and some reports projecting ranges up to about 1,000 km.