Lockheed awarded $130.3M contract for Patriot missile foreign sales

July 17 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control has been awarded a $130.3 million foreign military sales contract for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 anti-ballistic missile systems, the Department of Defense announced Friday.

The contract will provide for 35 missile segment enhancements, 100 launcher modifications kits, parts, software, and missile round trainers. Recipients of the systems include Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Untied Arab Emirates, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan.

The work will be conducted in Grand Prairie, Texas, and other sites across the United States, and is projected to be completed by June 30, 2020. Army procurement funds in the amount of $130.3 million have been obligated for the contract.

The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 anti-ballistic missile system is an upgraded version of the original Patriot series of surface-to-air missiles operated by the U.S. Army and allied nations. It plays a key role for the Missile Defence Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense Systems network against short and intermediate range ballistic missiles.

The system is part of the Lower Tier layer of missile defenses, 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 vehicle to destroy ballistic missiles during their terminal descent phase. It's radar and sensor data is fully integrated with the BMDS network, allowing it to share and receive targeting information with other air defense systems.

The PAC-3 is currently deployed by the U.S. Army in multiple theatres and has been widely exported to allied nations.