A frantic arms race between the US and China is underway in the Pacific while the fate of Taiwan hangs in the balance.

Washington and its allies are trying to stay ahead of Chinese capabilities, shaking Beijing off-balance as it considers whether it can launch a successful invasion of Taiwan.

At the heart of the US strategy is a new technology that has the ability to inflict devastating losses on the Chinese navy: precision strike missiles (PrSMs, pronounced “prisms”).

The missile has just been tested in Australia, where it struck a target more than 190 miles away, marking the first time the Lockheed Martin-manufactured weapon has been used by a US ally.

It can be fired with either American-made Himars or British MLRS artillery systems: missile launchers that were recently used by Ukraine to launch counter-offensives on invading Russian forces and strike deep inside enemy territory, blunting Moscow’s advances.

Game-changing firepower

To date, those launchers have been used with Atacms missiles, which have been in service for more than three decades with a top range of some 190 miles.

But PrSMs reportedly have a range of more than 300 miles, with the potential for this to improve in future variants. And at the recent test flight in Australia, the missile reached speeds of 4,000kmph, beating the Atacms by some 300kmph.

Each launch pod will be able to hold two of the precision missiles, compared to just a single Atacm, according to Alex Miller, the US Army’s chief technology officer. It is also said to be less susceptible to jamming.