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| Germany Successfully Fires PAC-3 MSE Missile From Modified Patriot System |
Berlin - German modified Patriot Air Defense System Launcher successfully fires Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement) Missile. The missile launch test was carried out on May 11, 2023.
The missile was tested by being fired by the German Air Force in three operational flight tests against virtual ballistic missile targets. This was to prove compatibility between the PAC-3 MSE and the German modified M903 Launch Station.
MBDA Deutschland partnered with Lockheed Martin to modify the Patriot System launcher to fire the PAC-3 MSE Missile. The test was a decisive final step before Lockheed Martin delivered its first MSE PAC-3 missile to Germany.
Towards the end of last year, Lockheed Martin set up a new facility in Arkansas for increased production of the PAC-3 missile. At that time, in October 2022, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) stated that they had continued to increase the production volume of the PAC-3 MSE since the full rate production decision was reached in 2018.
Until October last year, the OEM stated that it had produced more than 300 UMK PAC-3 annually and was expected to increase to 500 UMK PAC-3. The US and German governments reached an agreement in 2019 for the procurement of UMK PAC-3.