Lockheed Martin awarded USD 2.45 Bn contract to supply Patriot PAC-3 systems to US Army.

The U.S. Department of Defense on April 21 announced that Lockheed Martin was awarded a $2,451,432,304 modification to contract W31P4Q-20-C-0023 for Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept on Target (PATRIOT) Advanced Capability-3 missile production.
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The Patriot PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) is a surface-to-air missile defense system. It is an upgrade to the original Patriot system and is designed to intercept and destroy incoming short- to medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2029. Fiscal 2023 missile procurement, Army funds; and 2023 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $2,451,432,304 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

The Patriot PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) is a surface-to-air missile defense system. It is an upgrade to the original Patriot system and is designed to intercept and destroy incoming short- to medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft.

The PAC-3 system consists of four major components: the launcher, the interceptor missile, the radar system, and the command and control system. The launcher is a truck-mounted system that can carry up to 16 missiles. The interceptor missile is a high-speed, hit-to-kill missile that can travel at Mach 5 and has a range of up to 20 km.

The Patriot’s radar is designed to detect and track incoming enemy missiles or aircraft. It is also used for surveillance and early warning purposes. The Patriot radar system consists of an AN/MPQ-53 or AN/MPQ-65 radar, which is a phased-array radar that can rapidly scan the sky and detect targets at long ranges. The radar is mounted on a mobile platform, making it easy to deploy and move around to different locations.

The Patriot system is also equipped with a command and control center, which allows operators to receive and process radar data, identify potential threats, and launch missiles to intercept incoming targets. The missiles used by the Patriot system are known as PAC-2 (Patriot Advanced Capability-2) and PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) missiles, which can intercept targets at various altitudes and ranges.

Defense News April 2023