The US military has finalised high-stakes, multi-year contracts with defence giants General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin to significantly expand the production of advanced missile interceptors, Anadolu reports citing the War Department.
The seven-year agreements aim to triple the production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles and quadruple the output of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system.
“General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin have answered the call. We are cutting red tape, shortening timelines, and rapidly scaling our domestic manufacturing capacity,” Michael Duffey, Undersecretary for Acquisition and Sustainment at the Pentagon, says in a statement.
He adds that the manufacturing effort is designed to “increase production quantities and accelerate delivery schedules” and specifically targets critical subcomponents such as motor cases, seeker housings and midsections, and shroud deployment systems.
Duffey characterises the deal as an effort to expand the “Arsenal of Freedom” and ensure American forces maintain a decisive technological advantage. Funding for the framework remains subject to annual congressional appropriations.
