General Atomics Pitches 150-Km-Class LRMP Precision Artillery Projectile to Indian Army

General Atomics is positioning its Long Range Maneuvering Projectile (LRMP) as a potential solution for the Indian Army’s future long-range precision artillery requirements, with discussions underway over the advanced 155mm munition. The US defence company sees significant potential for the system in India, where the Army is simultaneously expanding its artillery inventory and seeking greater precision, range and survivability for its conventional gun forces.

Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, confirmed during an interaction at the Farnborough International Airshow that discussions are underway with the Indian Army regarding LRMP. He described the projectile as having “great possibilities in India,” although no procurement decision, quantity, contract value or formal acquisition programme has yet been announced.

LRMP is being developed by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems as a next-generation 155mm precision-guided artillery projectile capable of travelling substantially farther than conventional ammunition. Rather than relying on a rocket motor to achieve its extended reach, the projectile uses an aerodynamic body and deployable control surfaces to generate lift after leaving the gun barrel. This allows it to glide and manoeuvre toward its target while increasing both range and the area that can be covered from a single firing position.

General Atomics has previously promoted LRMP as a projectile capable of delivering two to three times the range of existing artillery rounds, while subsequent company material has described engagement ranges of 120 kilometres and beyond. The broader technology has also been associated during its development with the goal of reaching roughly the 150-km class depending on gun, propellant and configuration. For India, it is therefore more accurate at this stage to describe LRMP as a 120–150-km-class precision artillery concept rather than treating 150 km as a guaranteed operational range from every howitzer configuration.

One of the most important aspects of LRMP for the Indian Army is its compatibility with existing 155mm artillery systems. General Atomics successfully fired multiple LRMP rounds from an M777 155mm howitzer at the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in August 2025. The tests demonstrated critical stages of the projectile’s flight sequence, including sabot separation, de-spin stabilisation, deployment of its aerodynamic wings and controlled descent.

This is particularly relevant because the Indian Army already operates the M777 Ultra-Light Howitzer. A precision projectile capable of dramatically extending the reach of existing 155mm guns could provide additional deep-strike capability without requiring an entirely new launcher architecture. Depending on future integration and qualification, the broader concept could potentially be adapted across other compatible 155mm artillery platforms as well.

LRMP differs fundamentally from a conventional ballistic artillery shell. After launch, its deployable aerodynamic surfaces allow it to generate lift and alter its trajectory, enabling shaped flight paths rather than simply following a predictable ballistic arc. General Atomics says this manoeuvrability can allow the projectile to engage static and moving targets while expanding the engagement zone available to an artillery battery without forcing the guns themselves to relocate.

The ability to manoeuvre after firing is increasingly valuable on a battlefield where long-range artillery positions can be located rapidly through counter-battery radars, unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic surveillance. If an artillery unit can engage targets across a considerably larger area from the same position, commanders gain greater flexibility in selecting firing locations while reducing the number of movements required to bring targets within range.

General Atomics is also developing the projectile around operations in contested electromagnetic environments. The company states that LRMP incorporates onboard guidance and is intended to maintain precision in GPS-degraded or GPS-denied conditions. This feature is becoming increasingly important as electronic warfare systems capable of jamming or manipulating satellite-navigation signals spread across modern battlefields.

The projectile has attracted interest from the US military as well. In June 2026, General Atomics announced that it had received a US Army contract to demonstrate a long-range manoeuvring 155mm projectile under the Extended Range Artillery Projectile programme. The work is intended to validate significantly increased range while maintaining precision under GPS-degraded and denied conditions. The US Army is currently targeting an initial operational capability for its ERAP requirement around fiscal year 2030.

The US Navy has separately funded further development of the LRMP Common Round. General Atomics received a contract in December 2024 to mature and demonstrate the projectile for the Navy’s Common Round offensive-strike requirement. The company said the projectile could potentially defeat both static and moving targets at ranges of 120 km and beyond and highlighted its ability to obtain long glide ranges without auxiliary propulsion or rocket assistance.

For the Indian Army, such a capability could significantly change the relationship between conventional tube artillery and longer-range precision weapons. Traditional 155mm artillery normally occupies a range bracket well below tactical missiles and many guided rockets. A manoeuvring projectile extending effective precision engagement beyond 100 kilometres would begin to narrow that gap while retaining the ability to launch from conventional artillery guns.

This could be particularly valuable in mountainous and high-altitude sectors. India operates extensive artillery formations along difficult northern frontiers, where terrain can restrict launcher positioning and make direct routes between gun positions and targets impossible. A projectile capable of gliding and manoeuvring after launch could provide greater flexibility in attacking targets behind terrain features while allowing artillery units to remain farther from the forward edge of the battlefield.

Extreme-range artillery would also increase the number of targets accessible to individual batteries. Command posts, logistics centres, air-defence elements, artillery positions and other high-value targets located well behind the front line could potentially be engaged without immediately resorting to more expensive tactical missiles. This would provide commanders with another precision-strike option between conventional artillery ammunition and dedicated missile systems.

The economic equation, however, will be important. Advanced guided artillery projectiles are significantly more complex and expensive than conventional shells, meaning systems such as LRMP are unlikely to replace ordinary high-explosive ammunition for routine fire missions. Their primary role would instead be precision engagement of high-value targets where range, accuracy and reduced ammunition expenditure justify the higher cost per round.

LRMP’s lack of auxiliary rocket propulsion could offer another advantage. General Atomics says the projectile achieves its long range principally through its aerodynamic configuration, simplifying the design while retaining compatibility with existing artillery systems, loaders and handling equipment. Avoiding a separate rocket motor could potentially reduce complexity compared with some rocket-assisted extended-range ammunition, although final production cost and logistical requirements will depend on the configuration ultimately fielded.

The system is still progressing through development and demonstration. Successful firing from an M777 has established several important mechanical and aerodynamic aspects of the design, while US Army and Navy programmes are supporting further maturation. It should therefore not yet be portrayed as a fully operational 150-km projectile already available for immediate Indian induction.

There is also currently no confirmation that the Indian Army has selected LRMP, initiated a formal procurement process or issued an Acceptance of Necessity specifically for the General Atomics projectile. The confirmed development is that discussions are taking place and that the company considers India a promising potential market.

Nevertheless, Indian interest in such technology would be consistent with the Army’s wider push toward longer-range and more precise artillery. The service is modernising its gun fleet while simultaneously expanding its use of precision-guided rockets, loitering munitions, unmanned reconnaissance systems and battlefield surveillance networks. Integrating extreme-range guided projectiles with these sensor networks could allow a target located by a UAV or other reconnaissance asset to be engaged rapidly by a conventional artillery battery operating more than 100 kilometres away.

For General Atomics, India would also represent a particularly important potential customer because of the scale of the Indian Army’s 155mm artillery modernisation and the existing presence of the M777. Compatibility with a gun already in Indian service could provide LRMP with a natural entry point if the Army ultimately decides that the performance and cost justify acquisition.

The emerging General Atomics–Indian Army discussions should therefore be viewed as an early but noteworthy development rather than an imminent procurement. LRMP combines three capabilities that are becoming increasingly important in modern artillery warfare: extreme range, precision guidance and in-flight manoeuvrability. If the technology matures as intended and is eventually adapted to Indian requirements, it could enable conventional 155mm artillery to strike targets previously considered the domain of rockets and tactical missiles, substantially expanding the reach of India’s battlefield firepower.

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