Lockheed Martin has struck a tentative deal with the Pentagon that¡¯s meant to triple production of its Patriot air-defense missile, part of a broader U.S. push to speed up weapons output and meet global demand for a highly sought-after weapons system.
The framework agreement clears the way for negotiations over a seven-year contract to increase production of the most advanced Patriot missile variant ¡ª the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or PAC-3 MSE ¡ª from about 600 missiles a year to 2,000, according to a Pentagon statement.
The statement didn¡¯t give a price tag for the potential deal but a Lockheed spokesperson said the company is targeting a formal contract award in the first half of 2026. Lockheed, which has been working to expand manufacturing capacity for several years following the start of the war in Ukraine, won a $9.8 billion contract in September to produce nearly 2,000 interceptors covering fiscal years 2024 through 2026.
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