Raytheon, Lockheed report successful Patriot tests

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M., July 11 (UPI) -- Raytheon and Lockheed Martin each reported successful tests of the Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense system at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The tests involved the upgraded system, known as the Post-Deployment Build 8, or PDB-8, detecting, tracking and engaging a cruise missile surrogate target, Raytheon said in a statement.

Raytheon's Guidance Enhance Missile, or GEM-T, then destroyed a target, and a PDB-8 Patriot also destroyed a tactical fighter aircraft target.

The PDB-8 upgrade is expected to be fielded in 2018.

During the tests, the threats were manually engaged by soldiers using the shoot-look-shoot method of fire.

After the first interceptor was fired, Patriot soldiers watched to see if the cruise missile or aircraft was destroyed. The targets were each destroyed by the first interceptor.

As part of the PDB-8 testing, a Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or MSE, missile successfully intercepted a full-scale air breathing target, the company said.

The PAC-3 missile is a high-velocity interceptor that uses hit-to-kill technology to defend against incoming threats that include tactical ballistic missiles, aircraft and cruise missiles.