The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $9.8-billion contract to produce almost 2,000 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors and associated hardware.
The order, the largest in the history of the firm’s Missiles and Fire Control segment, covers 1,970 interceptors along with launchers, tooling, and support equipment.
Production is set to accelerate in 2025, when the company expects to deliver more than 600 interceptors annually for the first time.
The award follows a $5.2-billion contract in 2024 and a $2.4-billion deal in 2023 from the army, underscoring rising demand and confidence in the system.
Lockheed said it began investing in expanded production capacity nearly two years before the award to support the ramp-up in deliveries.
Part of this effort is the launch of an 85,000-square-foot (7,897-square-meter) facility in Camden, Arkansas, to boost PAC-3 output.
“PAC-3 MSE’s recent combat performance solidified it as a must-have capability for America and its allies around the world,” Lockheed Martin Integrated Air and Missile Defense VP and General Manager Jason Reynolds commented.
“With this contract, we’ll be delivering record numbers of PAC-3 MSE for years to come, ensuring our customers have the advanced missile defense solutions they need to defend what matters most.”
The PAC-3 MSE
The PAC-3 MSE is the latest interceptor configuration in the Patriot air and missile defense family.
Compared to older variants that use blast fragmentation, the missile destroys targets through direct “hit-to-kill” impact, delivering greater kinetic energy on the target.
It measures 16 feet (5 meters) in length, 10 inches (25 centimeters) in diameter, and weighs around 820 pounds (370 kilograms).
The interceptor’s dual-pulse solid rocket motor enables a maximum altitude of 118,000 feet (35,966 meters), a range of up to 75 miles (120 kilometers), and speeds above Mach 4 (3,069 miles/4,939 kilometers per hour).
PAC-3 MSE is combat-proven against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and other aerial threats.
Seventeen nations, including the US, have fielded the PAC-3 to strengthen layered air defenses.
