Lockheed Martin to Develop Lower-Cost Interceptor

As stockpiles of high-end interceptors shrink worldwide, Lockheed Martin will test a new, more cost-effective model of its Patriot missile that could be ready sooner, it said this week (The Wall Street Journal, subscription).

What’s going on: “The company said Monday that its planned PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector can be made more quickly and will cost buyers less than half as much as Lockheed’s bestselling Missile Segment Enhancement version. Recent Army budget documents show MSE interceptors cost more than $4 million a round.”

• The scaled-down version of the missile is capable of thwarting a variety of attacks, from cruise missiles to close- and short-range ballistic missiles, the defense contractor said.
• PAC-3 is not meant to replace Patriots that can hit longer-range ballistic weapons.
• U.S. military officials “have said they need more low-cost and midrange defenses in their arsenal that can be delivered in months, rather than years.”

The background: In June, Lockheed and RTX, maker of the Patriot system, told the White House they would triple or quadruple output of some of their high-tech missiles, in response to low U.S. stockpiles.

• Earlier this year, the U.S. Army launched a competition to develop a lower-cost interceptor.

A helping hand: “Lockheed Martin said it would ask European defense companies to help supply parts for the planned interceptors, like rocket motors and seekers.”

• A Boeing factory in Huntsville, Alabama, is the only facility now manufacturing the PAC-3.

When it will happen: The missile’s first flight is planned for early 2028.