Lockheed Wins $610M PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Contract

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has won a $611 million U.S. Army contract to build 92 missiles and 50 launcher modification kits. According to Reuters, it’s the first production contract for a new missile designed to upgrade the Patriot missile defense system.

The contract modification was announced late Friday. A total of $874 million, which includes funding from fiscal 2013 and 2014, is now available for work on PAC-3 missiles through May 31, 2016, Reuters said.

Lockheed Martin’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) includes a larger motor to extend the reach of the missile by 50 percent. Other modifications help with ballistic and cruise missile interception.

“These enhancements are the natural, pre-planned evolution of a system that was first demonstrated 20 years ago,” said Scott Arnold, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Every current Patriot-using nation is a candidate to upgrade their PAC-3 systems to the PAC-3 MSE.”