The State Department approved a potential $401 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Germany for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) missiles.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the sale on July 12.
Germany requested 50 PAC-3 MSEs and the order also includes launcher conversion kits, missile round trainers, ground support equipment, Quality Assurance Team, MSE repair and return, U.S. government transportation, MSE launcher spare parts, U.S. government range support, and other related logistical and program support.
The prime contractor for the deal is Lockheed Martin [LMT], which builds the upgraded missiles.
DSCA said Germany will use the additional missiles to “build a more robust air defense capability and increase its air lethality against air defense threats.” The agency also noted this will enhance Germany’s status as maintaining the largest air defense capacity in Europe.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson confirmed to Defense Daily that these are the first MSEs going to Germany, designed to upgrade their current PAC-3 missiles.
Implementing the sale will require more contractor representatives to Germany, but DSCA does not expect additional U.S. government personnel to travel there for an extended period.
This approval comes during a boom in international sales for the missiles. Two months ago, the State Department approved a $2.7 billion sale of 452 PAC-3 MSE missiles to the United Arab Emirates and 50 PAC-3 MSEs to Bahrain as part of a $2.5 billion sale (Defense Daily, May 3).
Last year, Romania signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to buy three Patriot air and missile defense systems, including PAC-3 MSEs (Defense Daily, Nov. 1, 2018). In 2018, the State Department approved a $501 million FMS to South Korea for 64 PAC-3 MSEs (Defense Daily, Sept. 13, 2018) while last August Sweden agreed to buy the Patriot system with PAC-3 MSEs (Defense Daily, Aug. 10, 2018).
In March 2018, Poland signed a letter of offer and acceptance to buy Raytheon [RTN]-built Patriot system with the Lockheed Martin PAC-3 MSEs (Defense Daily, March 28, 2018).
In February 2018, the U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $524 million modification for domestic and FMS production od PAC-3 MSEs (Defense Daily, Feb. 8, 2018).