Boeing locks in 7-year deal to triple PAC-3 MSE seeker output

Boeing announced Monday that it formalized a seven-year contract supporting the Pentagon’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy, signing an approximately $14.7 billion “undefinitized” agreement with the Pentagon that allows the firm to triple its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement.

“Early investment and a relentless focus on quality and execution have positioned us to now deliver seekers at unprecedented levels in the near-term, and we’re committed to building on that momentum,” Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a release. “Our Boeing teammates could not be prouder of the role they play in protecting U.S. and allied service members, civilians and critical infrastructure worldwide.”

The agreement follows the framework deal that was announced in April. Production will be spread over seven years, matching Lockheed Martin’s push to surge production on the PAC-3 MSE all-up round.

Lockheed in January announced a seven-year framework agreement to increase annual PAC-3 interceptor production from approximately 600 to 2,000.

Work on the seekers began immediately, the company announced in April, and will be completed at Boeing’s facility in Huntsville, Alabama.

Boeing’s PAC-3 seekers work by identifying, tracking and knocking out a range of threats, from ballistic missiles and hypersonics to hostile air platforms.

Once the seeker identifies the target, the highly maneuverable interceptor, which uses a two-pulse solid rocket motor, engages and eliminates threats via direct body-to-body contact.

Monday’s announcement, meanwhile, comes as the U.S. military’s reliance on costly interceptors against cheap munitions, particularly those deployed by Iran during Operation Epic Fury, has come under increased scrutiny over the past eight months.

The announcement also follows a busy week for Boeing. Last Tuesday, the U.S. Navy selected the company to build its F/A-XX sixth-generation carrier-based fighter under a development contract worth more than $20 billion. The same day, the Air Force signed a $2.38 billion order for 22 more F-15EX Eagle II fighters.

Military Times reporter Michael Scanlon contributed to this report.

J.D. Simkins is Editor-in-Chief of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.

Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She holds a master's degree in military history from King's College, London, and is also a World War II researcher with an unparalleled affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.

波音公司周一宣布，已正式签署一份为期七年的合同，以支持五角大楼的采购转型战略。该公司与五角大楼签署了一份价值约 147 亿美元的“未定”协议，该协议允许波音公司将其“爱国者”先进能力-3 导弹段增强能力提升三倍。

波音防务、航天与安全总裁兼首席执行官史蒂夫·帕克在一份声明中表示：“早期投资以及对质量和执行力的不懈追求，使我们能够在短期内以前所未有的速度交付导引头，我们致力于保持这一势头。我们的波音团队成员为他们在保护美国及其盟国军人、平民和全球关键基础设施方面所发挥的作用感到无比自豪。”

该协议是在4月份宣布的框架协议之后达成的。生产将分七年进行，与洛克希德·马丁公司大力推进PAC-3 MSE总产量提升的计划相一致。

洛克希德公司在 1 月份宣布了一项为期七年的框架协议，将 PAC-3 拦截器的年产量从大约 600 枚增加到 2000 枚。

该公司在四月份宣布，寻的器研制工作立即开始，并将在波音公司位于阿拉巴马州亨茨维尔的工厂完成。

波音公司的 PAC-3 导引头的工作原理是识别、跟踪和摧毁一系列威胁，从弹道导弹和高超音速飞行器到敌方空中平台。

一旦寻的器识别出目标，这种机动性极强的拦截器（使用双脉冲固体火箭发动机）就会通过直接的身体接触来拦截并消除威胁。

与此同时，周一的声明发布之际，美国军方依赖昂贵的拦截器对抗廉价弹药（特别是伊朗在“史诗狂怒行动”中部署的弹药）的做法，在过去八个月中受到了越来越多的审查。

此次公告发布之际，波音公司也刚刚经历了忙碌的一周。上周二，美国海军选择波音公司建造其第六代舰载战斗机F/A-XX，合同金额超过200亿美元。同一天，美国空军也签署了一份价值23.8亿美元的订单，增购22架F-15EX“鹰II”战斗机。

《军事时报》记者迈克尔·斯坎伦对本报道亦有贡献。

JD Simkins 是《军事时报》和《防务新闻》的总编辑，也是参加过伊拉克战争的海军陆战队老兵。

克莱尔·巴雷特是《军事时报》的编辑和军事历史记者。她拥有伦敦国王学院军事历史硕士学位，也是一位二战研究员，对温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士和密歇根大学橄榄球队有着无与伦比的热爱。