Kuwait became the sixth and latest nation to procure Lockheed Martin’s [LMT] Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile segment program as the company in July was awarded a $308 million Army Aviation and Missile Command contract modification for the sale.
The contract includes production of 244 hit-to-kill PAC-3 missiles, 72 launcher modification kits and associated tooling, as well as program management, according to a Lockheed Martin statement. This is the 14th production buy of the PAC-3 missile segment by the Defense Department. PAC-3 is the interceptor that brings hit-to-kill technology to the Patriot air and missile defense system.
The other nations with PAC-3 are the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Taiwan, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Air and Missile Defense Mike Trotsky said yesterday during a conference call. Trotsky also said Lockheed Martin is receiving interest in PAC-3 from every Patriot partner and even a non-partner like Turkey. Trotsky said Turkey is holding a competition to acquire a missile defense solution. The United States is offering Patriot while China, Russia and Europe are offering their own entries, Trotsky said.
There have been two PAC-3 flight tests so far this year and four more upcoming, according to Lockheed Martin spokesman Craig Vanbebber. One PAC-3 flight test and one PAC-3 missile segment enhancement (MSE) took place earlier while three more PAC-3 tests and one PAC-3 MSE test will take place in November, Vanbebber said.
The PAC-3 missile segment consists of the PAC-3 missile, a highly-agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 missile canisters (each of which holds four PAC-3 missiles, with four canisters per launcher), a fire solution computer and an enhanced launcher electronics system and launcher support hardware.
Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the PAC-3 missile segment while Raytheon [RTN] is the prime contractor for the Patriot system.