Article Posted on : - Aug 13, 2013

DALLAS (BNS): Lockheed Martin has received a contract worth $308 million from the US Army Aviation and Missile Command for the production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile systems.

The contract, a modification over a previous contract awarded to the company, entails production of 244 hit-to-kill PAC-3 missiles, 72 launcher modification kits and associated tooling, as well as programme management.

In addition to Fiscal Year 2013 missile and command launch system production for the US Army, the contract marks the first Foreign Military Sale of the PAC-3 missile to Kuwait which becomes the sixth international customer for the advanced system, Lockheed announced on Aug 12.

"Kuwait's purchase of PAC-3 missiles will provide its defence forces with a superior air and missile defense capability," said Richard McDaniel, vice president of PAC-3 missile programmes at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

The US Defence Department in July last year had notified the Congress of a possible sale of PAC-3 systems to Kuwait.

Kuwait already operates the Patriot air defence missiles. In 1992, it bought 210 of the earlier-generation Patriots and 25 launchers, built by US defence contractor Raytheon.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade to the Patriot air defence system. The PAC-3 Missile Segment consists of the PAC-3 missile, a highly agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 missile canisters (each of which hold four PAC-3 Missiles, with four canisters per launcher), a fire solution computer and an enhanced launcher electronics system and launcher support hardware.

Six countries -- US, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, UAE and Taiwan -- are presently using the PAC-3 system.