PAC-3 kills 'air breathing target'

WASHINGTON, July 19 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has said it carried out a successful Patriot PAC-3 missile test Wednesday at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

"The test was an engagement against a low-flying, air-breathing target, which was intercepted and destroyed by a PAC-3 Missile," the company said in a statement.

"The flight test was conducted by Patriot soldiers from the 5th Battalion of the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (ADA) Regiment, 11th ADA Brigade at Fort Bliss. The test successfully demonstrated the systems capability to detect, track, engage and destroy an air-breathing target," Lockheed Martin said. "The test demonstrated improvements to PAC-3 hardware and software in a realistic battlefield environment."

"After a number of successful tests against Tactical Ballistic Missile threats, PAC-3 has once again demonstrated its ability to also defend against low-flying, air-breathing threats in an increasingly more challenging battlefield environment," said Richard McDaniel, PAC-3 Missile program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The capability enhancements demonstrated in this test are the culmination of years of development and will provide our soldiers continued lethality over match against the ever-advancing threat on today's battlefield."

Lockheed Martin described the Patriot PAC-3 as "the world's most advanced, capable and powerful theater air defense missile."

"PAC-3 Missiles significantly increase the Patriot system's firepower, since 16 PAC-3s load out on a PATRIOT launcher, compared with four legacy Patriot PAC-2 missiles," the company said.

Japan and Israel are among other nations that have bought the Patriot to protect their populations against intermediate-range ballistic missile attacks.