Raytheon Missiles & Defense has been awarded a $1.2-billion contract to manufacture Patriot missile system fire units for the US Army.
The agreement was made after Washington vowed to provide Ukraine with an advanced air defense system to help counter Russia’s continued attacks.
According to the US Department of Defense, the contract would also support a foreign military sale to Switzerland.
Work for the contract will be carried out in Germany, Switzerland, and various locations in the US.
It is expected to be completed by December 2032.
The Patriot System
Raytheon’s Patriot missile system is the US Army’s most advanced air defense.
It can shoot down high-performance enemy aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles.
The weapon’s basic firing unit consists of a phased array radar, power generating equipment, an engagement control station, and up to eight launchers holding four ready-to-fire missiles each.
The Patriot boasts various capabilities depending on the interceptors used.
Its PAC-2 interceptor uses a blast-fragmentation warhead, while the latest PAC-3 utilizes a more advanced hit-to-kill technology.
The missile was first used in the 1991 Gulf War, protecting Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Kuwait from Iraqi aerial attacks.