DOD, Boeing and Lockheed Martin Reach Deal to Triple Seeker Production
The Department of Defense, Boeing and Lockheed Martin have reached a deal to triple production capacity of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement seekers (War.gov).
What’s going on: The seven-year framework agreement, announced last month, aims to reach the administration’s goal of “accelerat[ing] the delivery of critical capabilities to the warfighter, and creat[ing] thousands of jobs across the defense industrial base.”
- The deal supports another, earlier Pentagon agreement with PAC-3 MSE prime contractor Lockheed Martin “to more than triple the output of the PAC-3 MSE all-up round.”
- It’s the administration’s new Acquisition Transformation Strategy—engaging directly with key suppliers throughout the industrial base—in action.
About the guidance system: The seeker gives the PAC-3 MSE guidance accuracy.
Why it’s important: The approach, according to the DOD, has the certainty and stability needed to invest for the long term to “mitigat[e] chokepoints and ensur[e] the industrial base can scale to meet the operational demands of the warfighter.”
The NAM says: “From the Arsenal of Democracy to the advanced manufacturing breakthroughs powering America’s defense industrial base today, manufacturers have always stepped up when the nation needed them most,” said NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain.
- “This agreement reflects an important lesson from American history: when the U.S. rewards private investment and provides long-term investment certainty, encourages innovation and allows manufacturers to compete and scale freely, our industry delivers unmatched results for our economy and national security. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, manufacturers are once again proving that strength of American democracy and the free enterprise that built this nation’s manufacturing strength go hand in hand.”
