The Pentagon has signed a record-breaking contract worth nearly $5 billion for the production of Patriot missiles
The Pentagon has signed a $4.7 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to accelerate the production of interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense systems.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The agreement involves the improvement and expansion of production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3 MSE) missiles, concluded following a seven-year cooperation program with the U.S. Department of Defense aimed at more than tripling annual output.
It is noted that the PAC-3 MSE is a key component of the U.S. Army’s long- and medium-range missile interception system and forms the backbone of the air defense of Washington and its allies.
At the same time, it is emphasized that supplies of these missiles, which Ukraine uses to protect its energy and military infrastructure from ballistic threats, remain limited due to their high rate of use, particularly in the Persian Gulf during the repulsion of Iranian attacks.
Earlier, Switzerland suspended payments to the U.S. for Patriot air defense systems due to uncertainty regarding delivery timelines.
Switzerland ordered the Patriot missiles several years ago, but the U.S. stated that it could not deliver them. In response to Switzerland’s suspension of payments, Washington withheld 100 million Swiss francs paid for F-35 fighter jets, which were also not delivered on time, and demanded additional funds. At the end of the year, Switzerland was forced to transfer tens of millions more francs to cover the alleged debt.
