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US Army Funds New PAC-3 Guidance Processor Tests as Patriot Missile Output Heads Toward 2,000 a Year
The US Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $10.4 million contract on October 30, 2026, to support flight testing of a redesigned PAC-3 guidance processor with the Seeker Block V. The processor combines radar-seeker measurements, inertial navigation and datalink updates to generate steering commands for the hit-to-kill interceptor. Work will take place in Grand Prairie, Texas, through November 30, 2027, with the full contract value obligated at award. The testing accompanies a separate production expansion intended to raise annual PAC-3 MSE output to approximately 2,000 missiles, while specific seeker improvements and test quantities remain undisclosed.