Lockheed Martin says PAC-3 ACE is ready for the battlefield as low-cost interceptor against aircraft, cruise and ballistic missile threats

Lockheed Martin says its PAC-3 Affordable Cost Expendable interceptor is ready for battlefield use against aircraft, cruise missiles and close- or short-range ballistic threats. Introduced in July, the design is promoted as costing less than half as much as a PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement round, potentially increasing magazine depth for lower-tier engagements. The concept is intended to complement, rather than replace, higher-performance Patriot interceptors reserved for the most demanding targets. The readiness claim is a company statement; no production contract, customer commitment, test record, delivery quantity or operational deployment has been announced.