The United States Army has recently awarded a multi-billion dollar contract to Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defense contractors in the country.

According to the Department of Defense (DoD), the $2.4 billion agreement includes the funds to sustain the production of the PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, which are part of the Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept on Target (PATRIOT) surface-to-air missile defense system.

The contract will also include provisions for supporting foreign military sales to allied nations, such as Ukraine, affected by war since the Russian invasion in February last year. The production and delivery of the PAC-3 missiles to the Army are expected to be completed by December 2029,  per Lockheed Martin’s schedule.

PATRIOT

Lockheed Martin is among the defense contractors who worked on developing the PATRIOT, a long-range, all-altitude air defense system capable of intercepting various airborne threats, including hostile aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.