Pentagon signs record Patriot missile supply deal
Photo: Pentagon signs record Patriot missile contract (Getty Images)
The Pentagon has signed a record $4.7 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to accelerate production of interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The contract for upgrading and accelerating production of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3 MSE) missile was signed following a seven-year agreement with the US Department of Defense to more than triple annual production.
It is noted that the PAC-3 MSE is used in the US Army's primary medium- and long-range missile interception system and forms the backbone of air defense for Washington and its allies.
Deliveries of the PAC-3 MSE, which Ukraine relies on to protect its energy and military infrastructure from ballistic missiles, have become significantly limited after intensive use in the Persian Gulf against Iranian strikes.
Shortage of Patriot air defense missiles
It should be recalled that in the early days of the Middle East conflict, Israel and its allies used about 800 Patriot missiles to intercept Iranian targets. By comparison, Ukraine has received approximately 600 such missiles over the course of the full-scale war.
The Pentagon has already approached the White House requesting approval to submit a proposal to Congress for more than $200 billion to fund operations against Iran. This reflects the scale of US requirements and the rapidly rising cost of military operations.
According to estimates, during the first 12 days of operations in Iran alone, the United States used up stocks of precision weapons that had been accumulated over years. Replenishing them will take significant time and be very costly.
