The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to expand production capacity for the Patriot Advanced Capability – 3 (PAC-3) missile to 650 units annually.
Lockheed emphasized that this initiative is a crucial step in meeting the growing global demand for “the world’s most advanced missile.”
This year, missile production increased by 30 percent, with projections indicating a further 20 percent rise next year.
The company “started this effort with internal funding more than a year ago to expand the PAC-3 production capacity, both in our factories and across the supply chain,” Lockheed PAC-3 Programs VP Brian Kubik said.
“We are also investing to implement lean, agile processes to deliver this critical product to our partners more efficiently.”
Growing Demand
Last month, Lockheed announced plans to scale production at its US facilities for several systems, including the Javelin, HIMARS, GMLRS, and PAC-3.
In October 2022, the company unveiled a new facility in Arkansas aimed at boosting PAC-3 missile production by 500 units annually.
Since full-rate production of the PAC-3 began in 2018, Lockheed has delivered more than 1,700 units.
Features
The PAC-3 is a land-based, mobile-guided missile system designed to defend against a range of threats, including tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and aircraft.
It employs hit-to-kill technology to intercept threats, generating significantly more kinetic energy on impact compared to blast-fragmentation methods.