Grupo Oesia, a Spanish company, intends to localize the production of components for PAC-3 MSE missiles used in Patriot air defense systems. The company’s press service announced this on social media.
Lockheed Martin and Grupo Oesia signed a memorandum of agreement on April 16 to localize PAC-3 MSE missile manufacture in Spain for global distribution.
This arrangement is part of Lockheed’s effort to speed up the production of the Patriot PAC-3 missile. As demand rises in Europe and Asia, Lockheed will supply interceptors for air and missile defense systems.
Involving Grupo Oesia in the supply chain is a significant step in expanding Lockheed Martin’s production capabilities at its Camden facility in Arkansas. The company is expected to manufacture 550 PAC-3 MSE missiles by the end of 2024.
The company’s aerospace and defense divisions might work together to build the missile’s guidance and control system, while the engineering section could help with component production. It is worth mentioning that an agreement is unlikely to include partial production of the missiles in Spain.
PAC-3 MSE (Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement) is an anti-aircraft missile developed by Lockheed Martin for Patriot systems to intercept airborne objects such as aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
It is an advanced variant of the PAC-3 missiles. Lockheed Martin experts increased its size and integrated a new solid-fuel engine, extending its interception range to 120 km for aerial targets and 60 km for ballistic ones.
To reliably intercept ballistic missiles, the interceptor employs hit-to-kill technology. In this technique, the warhead strikes the target directly, inflicting maximum damage and diverting it from its flight path.
Due to their larger size, PAC-3 MSE missiles are placed in groups of 12 on a single Patriot PAC-3 launcher M903. For comparison, a conventional launcher for the system can carry up to 16 PAC-3 missiles or 4 PAC-2 (GEM-T) missiles.
