Qataris and Saudis gain PAC-3 flight test support
Saudi and allied officers pose in front of a Patriot missile battery at Prince Sultan Air Base in September 2020. (photo: USAF/Staff Sgt Cary Smith)
Lockheed Martin is providing flight test support for the PAC-3 interceptor in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
US Army Contracting Command has awarded sole bidder Lockheed Martin a $16.1 million FMS deal for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor flight test support in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Work should be completed by 13 February 2025, the DoD announced on 14 February.
The Financial Times newspaper in the UK reported last month that Saudi Arabia was in danger of running out of Patriot interceptors amid continuing missile and UAV attacks from rebel Houthi forces in Yemen.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia were among 14 FMS customers covered by a PAC-3 technical engineering services modification issued in February 2021 by the Lower Tier Project Office in the US Army Program Executive Office Missiles and Space.
PAC-3 is a long-range, medium- to high-altitude, all-weather air defence missile designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![Patria OPTIME and ILIAS: Orchestrating operational readiness across every domain]()
Patria OPTIME and ILIAS: Orchestrating operational readiness across every domain
Patria OPTIME is a sustainment concept that integrates MRO and lifecycle services into one solution, powered by the ILIAS digital defence platform
-
![US military seeks common controllers for drones and robotic systems]()
US military seeks common controllers for drones and robotic systems
US Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command initiatives signal demand for interoperable uncrewed systems control, creating opportunities for suppliers of hardware, software and integration services.
-
![“Start planning much earlier”: delivering defence support in an era of disruption]()
“Start planning much earlier”: delivering defence support in an era of disruption
In Conversation… The geopolitical landscape is increasingly uncertain, with the UK and its allies confronting the most unpredictable international environment for decades. To adapt, defence readiness must begin long before assets reach the front line, forging a resilient support enterprise that can thrive in a time of ongoing disruption, argue the partners of Team ORION.
-
![“Communicating at mission speed”: why data security is essential for operational success]()
“Communicating at mission speed”: why data security is essential for operational success
In conversation… Everfox’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dave Wajsgras and Managing Director, International, Colin McKinty discuss the critical importance of information security in defence, minimising insider risk and the company’s international growth strategy with Shephard’s Andrew White.
-
![“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence]()
“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence
In Conversation… Shephard’s Andrew White talks to Zafer Şen, CEO and co-founder of OBSS, about the future of command-and-control software in the age of artificial intelligence, and his company’s ambitions in the UK defence market.
