The US Army Contracting Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to produce Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles for USD2.4 Bn (EUR 2.2 Bn). The missiles, for the US Army and foreign Patriot users via Foreign Military Sales (FMS), are to be delivered by 31 December 2029.
With an estimated price of around USD4.1 M per missile, the number of missiles to be produced can be estimated at just under 600. So far, according to unofficial estimates, several thousand PAC-3 missiles have been produced by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for the US Army and international users since the missile’s introduction in 1999.
The PAC-3 missiles are among the most advanced effectors for the Patriot mobile ground-based air defence system, which consists of radars, a fire control system and missile launchers. According to Raytheon information, the system can detect, identify and engage cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced fighter aircraft and other airborne threats.
Gerhard Heiming
