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
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV]()
RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV
RTX told Shephard that the Hadalus UUV has been procured by the US Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research for operational experimentation as the company prepares additional demonstrations with the US Navy, NATO and AUKUS partners.
-
![Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand]()
Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand
Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.
-
![The UK joins the movement towards joint procurement]()
The UK joins the movement towards joint procurement
The UK will spend an estimated US$3.89 billion over the next decade in joint naval programmes, a lot of which will be in cooperation with Norway.
