The US is creating a "cheap shield": the new Patriot missile will cut the cost of interception in half.

American corporation Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new modification of its interceptor missile for the Patriot air defense system – the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (ACE). The new missile is expected to be significantly cheaper than the existing PAC-3 MSE and will allow for faster production ramp-up amid rapidly growing global demand for air and missile defense systems.

The development was announced at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK. According to Reuters, the new missile will cost less than half the price of the PAC-3 MSE, which, according to US Army budget documents, costs approximately $4 million per unit. Therefore, the price of the PAC-3 ACE will not exceed approximately $2 million.



The company stated that the first serial deliveries of the new rocket could begin within 36 months. Production is planned to be organized jointly with American and European industrial partners, which will significantly increase production volumes.

Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control division, noted that the military needs a more affordable solution without abandoning proven of technologies.


- he said.

The new development comes amid rapidly growing demand for Patriot missiles following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine and the escalating situation in the Middle East. According to Reuters, the intensive use of interceptor missiles has led to a significant reduction in the stockpiles of modern air defense systems and exposed the limitations of existing production capacity.

However, as The Wall Street Journal notes, the PAC-3 ACE is primarily designed to defeat cruise missiles, drones, and short- and short-range ballistic missiles. The company has not yet disclosed how effectively the new modification will counter longer-range ballistic missiles, such as those Russia is using in its strikes on Ukraine.

The development of the PAC-3 ACE also reflects a shift in the Pentagon's approach to arms procurement. The US military is increasingly demanding from industry not only high-tech missiles but also mass-produced, relatively inexpensive missiles that can be produced significantly faster. As US Army officials have previously stated, the existing PAC-3 MSE was initially designed without regard for the requirements for maximum efficient serial production, which complicates the rapid ramp-up of production.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the US Army has already launched a separate program to develop a new generation of lower-cost interceptors costing less than $1 million and capable of using existing Patriot launchers. The PAC-3 ACE is Lockheed Martin's first response to this request.

With global military spending continuing to rise and the number of Patriot customers growing in Europe, the new missile could become an important element in expanding the production capabilities of the United States and its allies. However, neither Lockheed Martin nor the US government have yet announced which countries will be the first recipients of the PAC-3 ACE once serial production begins.