https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated April 6, 2023
The U.S. Army’s Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System
(Formerly Mid-Range Capabilities [MRC] System)
What Is the Army’s Strategic Mid-Range
Fires (SMRF) System?
Reported improvements to Russian and Chinese artillery
systems present a challenge to the U.S. Army. These
improved, longer-ranged artillery systems, new
employment techniques employing unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAV) for target acquisition, and the proliferation
of special munitions (such as precision, thermobaric,
loitering, and top-attack munitions) have renewed concerns
about the potential impact of Russian and Chinese artillery
on U.S. combat operations and ground combat systems. In
response, the U.S. Army is seeking to improve its ability to
deliver what it refers to as long-range precision fires
(LRPF) by upgrading current artillery and missile systems,
developing new longer-ranged cannons and hypersonic
weapons, and modifying existing air- and sea-launched
missiles for ground launch.
Originally known as the Mid-Range Capabilities (MRC)
System, SMRF is part of the Army’s LRPF modernization
portfolio. It is intended to hit targets at ranges between the
Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) (about 300 miles
maximum range) and the developmental Long-Range
Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system (about 1,725 miles
maximum range). The SMRF Weapon System is to
leverage existing Raytheon-produced SM-6 missiles
(Figure 1) and Raytheon-produced Tomahawk cruise
missiles (Figure 2), and modify them for ground launch by
Army units. The SMRF system is also known as the
“Typhon” missile system.
Figure 1. SM-6 Missile
Source: https://www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com/news/2016/
03/07/sm-6-anti-surface-warfare, accessed June 14, 2022.
Figure 2. Tomahawk Cruise Missile
Source: https://www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com/what-we-do/
naval-warfare/advanced-strike-weapons/tomahawk-cruise-missile,
accessed June 14, 2022.
Note: Tomahawk cruise missiles come in both sea-launched and air-
launched variants.
SMRF Weapon System Components
According to the Army, the prototype SMRF battery is
planned to consist of four launchers and a battery
operations center (BOC). Reportedly, a decision has not
been made on how many missiles each battery will have.
SMRF batteries are to be equipped with a number of prime
movers, trailers, generators, and support vehicles. Numbers
of soldiers assigned to each battery is presently unknown.
The Army plans for the first prototype SMRF battery to be
fielded no later than the fourth quarter of FY2023 and three
additional batteries are to be fielded on an annual basis
thereafter. It is not clear at this time if the Army will field
more than four SMRF batteries and if any of the batteries
will be Army National Guard units.
MRC Unit Organization
The Army plans to field a SMRF battery in the Strategic
Fires Battalion of the Army’s regionally aligned Multi-
Domain Task Force (MDTF) (Figure 3).
