On 28 March, U.S. and Polish officials formalized an agreement for Poland to purchase Lockheed Martin’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related support equipment.
With announcement, Poland becomes the fifth international customer to sign an agreement to procure PAC-3 MSE.
“We’re honored to partner with Poland in support of the WISŁA Air and Missile Defense system to protect and defend their armed forces, citizens and infrastructure. We also look forward to working with the Polish Armaments Group consortium of companies in support of the agreed to WISŁA technology transfer,” said Tim Cahill, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Today’s global security environment demands reliable Hit-to-Kill technology and innovative solutions. We expect PAC-3 MSE interceptors to continue serving as an integral layer of defense.”
More: Interceptor test proves Lockheed Martin’s Hit-to-Kill PAC-3 fielded reliability
Poland now joins the United States, Qatar, Japan, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates in signing an agreement to procure PAC-3 MSE. Several other nations have also expressed an interest in enhancing their missile defense capabilities with the PAC-3 MSE as part of the Patriot system.
Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the PAC-3 MSE upgrade to the Patriot air defense system. The PAC-3 MSE expands the battlespace with a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, providing increased performance in altitude and range. PAC-3 MSE is a high-velocity interceptor that defends against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. The PAC-3 MSE missile uses Hit-to-Kill technology, intercepting threats through kinetic energy via body-to-body contact.
More: Lockheed Martin receives $524 million contract for PAC-3 missiles
As a world leader in systems integration and development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, Lockheed Martin delivers high-quality missile defense solutions that protect citizens, critical assets and deployed forces from current and future threats. The company’s experience spans missile design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, radar and signal processing, as well as threat-representative targets for missile defense tests.