Lockheed receives PAC-3 anti-ballistic missile contract

June 27 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has received a $39.2 million modification to an existing contract in support of several allied countries Patriot Advanced Capability-3 anti-ballistic missile systems.

Under the modification, announced Monday by the Department of Defense, Lockheed would provide Pac-3 Support Center post-production re-capitalization and support services for Germany, Netherlands, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Japan and United Arab Emirates.

These services include work on the enhanced launcher system, field missile activities and unscheduled maintenance as ordered. Work will be conducted in Grand Prairie, Texas, and is expected to be finished by June 25, 2018. Fiscal 2017 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $16.7 million were obligated upon award.

The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 anti-ballistic missile system is a development of the original Patriot series of surface-to-air missile launchers. It is designed to be easily and fully integrated with the Missile Defense Agency-run Ballistic Missile Defense System as one of its land-based components

The system forms the Lower Tier layer of protection for the BMDS, working with other BMD platforms like the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense and Standard Missile-3 by engaging targets that the other systems have failed to intercept. It uses a "hit-to-kill" kinetic energy method to destroy ballistic missiles during their terminal descent phase, and also provides another source of search and targeting data that is networked with the other systems.

The PAC-3 is currently deployed around the world and has been widely exported to allied nations.