US Missile Defense Agency test fires Patriot PAC-3 MSE missile from THAAD system.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency successfully launched the most advanced version of the Patriot missile from a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in a Feb. 24 test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Lockheed Martin told Defense News, as reported by Jen Judson. The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement — or PAC-3 MSE — was fired using the THAAD system against a simulated incoming target, Scott Arnold, vice president of integrated air and missile defense at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in a March 9 statement. Lockheed manufactures both the MSE and the THAAD system.
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Launching of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor (Picture source: U.S. Army/Leah Garton)

The PAC-3 MSE interceptor flew to the intercept point and subsequently self-destructed as planned, Arnold said, Jen Judson reports. The test proves PAC-3 MSE can be integrated directly into the THAAD weapon system, providing the capability to launch MSE missiles separately from a Patriot fire unit, Arnold said.

THAAD, which is operated by the Army but owned by the Missile Defense Agency, provides defensive capability in the terminal — or final — phase of a threat missile’s flight. “With this successful demonstration, the Patriot M903 Launching Stations and PAC-3 MSE interceptors can be deployed with the THAAD Weapon System using only the THAAD radar and TFCC (Fire Control & Communication) for support,” Arnold explained. The ability to do this means the U.S. military now has a “critical multi-tier missile defense capability” with the ability to go up against both current and emerging threats, he said. Having upper-tier and lower-tier interceptors within one battery expands the battlespace, increases the area of defensive coverage, and adds flexibility to combatant commanders in how they use the systems, he noted.