Lockheed Martin confirms 2029 target date for US Navy’s Aegis/PAC-3 MSE integration
The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Jack H Lucas is one of the force’s vessels equipped with the Aegis BMD system. (Photo: US Navy)
Enabling Aegis-equipped vessels to launch PAC-3 MSE interceptors will give the USN more options to engage highly manoeuvrable hypersonic missiles – including the ones China has been developing.
The integration between the US Navy’s (USN) Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence System and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) is expected to be fielded by 2029, an official spokesperson for Lockheed Martin confirmed to Shephard.
The company announced the award of a US$90 million contract on 21 April to begin the implementation process. This deal covered the first stage of a multi-phase effort with development, integration and testing worth up to $200 million.
The Lockheed Martin official explained to Shephard that the manufacturer had already started working on enabling the technological coordination before the agreement was granted, employing internal
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