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Lockheed Martin has announced plans to develop the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector, a lower-cost version of its Patriot interceptor. The company said the new weapon is designed to respond quickly to rising aerial threats, particularly drones.
The announcement comes as global Patriot inventories have been strained since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while militaries seek defences that do not exhaust budgets when used against low-cost threats.
Details
- Cost: US Army budget documents put the current PAC-3 MSE interceptor at about $4mn, while Lockheed says the new version will cost less than half that amount.
- Production: The company plans to develop and manufacture the interceptor with US and European partners.
- Competition: Major defence contractors face growing competition from smaller companies developing cheaper, faster-to-produce interceptors for drones and missile threats.
- Europe: The project coincides with European governments’ push to strengthen domestic defence capabilities, especially air defence.
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Lockheed has not announced a production timetable or final performance specifications. The scale of the cost reduction and the missile’s operational effectiveness will be central to its ability to compete with emerging alternatives.
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