Patriot missile breaks its own distance record to defeat threat target in test

July 27, 2018

Defense News:

WASHINGTON — The Army’s most advanced version of the Patriot missile broke its own distance record to intercept a target, according to Lockheed Martin, the missile’s manufacturer. The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor took out an air-breathing threat target in a test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, July 26.

According to Lockheed, this marks the furthest distance a PAC-3 MSE missile has intercepted an air-breathing target. These types of targets mimic the flight profile of fixed-wing aircraft or cruise missiles. The Army-led flight test demonstrated the missile’s “unique” hit-to-kill capability, which means the missile hits the target dead on. The test also confirmed PAC-3 MSE’s detection and tracking capabilities.

“PAC-3 MSE continues to be successful against today’s evolving threats, and this most recent test validates its effectiveness at extreme distances,” Jay Pitman, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in a statement.

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