Swiss join new-generation Patriot missile club
PAC-3 MSE missiles are the latest generation for the Patriot air defence system. (Image: Lockheed Martin)
US officials have finalised an agreement for Switzerland to buy Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles.
A formal agreement has been signed between US and Swiss officials for Switzerland to purchase PAC-3 MSE missiles and support equipment, making the European country the 15th partner nation.
PAC-3 MSE will bolster Switzerland’s Patriot ground-based air-defence system as a part of the Swiss Air Force’s Air2030 programme.
Air2030 is a multi-billion US dollar programme which will refresh huge swathes of Swiss air defence including a new fleet of 36 F-35A fighter aircraft. The programme was put to a vote by the Swiss public and scraped approval by the thinnest of margins.
Lockheed Martin and Armasuisse also finalised the offset agreement supporting the PAC-3 MSE programme, an agreement which will support new projects to enhance Switzerland’s security-relevant technology and industry base.
PAC-3 MSE will expand the battlespace with a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, providing increased performance in altitude and range, as well as using hit-to-kill technology and intercepting threats through kinetic energy.
The missile is a high-velocity interceptor that defends against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, advanced threats and aircraft.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![July land forces roundup: UK outlines spending with details unveiled on Eurosatory vehicles]()
July land forces roundup: UK outlines spending with details unveiled on Eurosatory vehicles
Analysis of the long-awaited UK Defence Investment Plan, which was finally released on 30 June, revealed scant investment in platform replacement for the British Army. The bright spot in July, however, was a multibillion-dollar contract awarded for the British Army’s Collective Training System.
-
![Italian Army advances plans for 155m wheeled artillery fleet]()
Italian Army advances plans for 155m wheeled artillery fleet
With a requirement for 60 systems, the Italian Army is preparing to complement its tracked artillery with a modern wheeled solution based on domestic industry.
-
![UK hits pause on deployable mortar system procurement as US begins search]()
UK hits pause on deployable mortar system procurement as US begins search
The US Army's market survey into available 81mm and 120mm mobile mortar systems was launched only a few days after the UK suspended Project Stokes, an almost identical plan, “pending future decisions on prioritisation, resourcing and funding”.
-
![New teams form to compete for British Army Land Rover replacement]()
New teams form to compete for British Army Land Rover replacement
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme Light Mobility Vehicle requirement is designed to replace the British Army’s ageing fleet of Land Rovers with a vehicle with a Gross Vehicular Mass of less than 3,500kg. It could be for as many as 6,000 vehicles.
