Lockheed Martin has produced the 1,000th unit of a modern missile interceptor following efforts to meet government demands for advanced air defense missiles.
The company said Wednesday it ramped up its manufacturing capacity of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor and expects to produce 500 units annually by 2024.
Lockheed will expand its Camden, Arkansas-based facility with an 85,000-square-foot addition in 2022 to boost PAC-3 production.
The interceptor’s manufacturing has constantly increased since Lockheed achieved full-rate production for PAC-3 in 2018.
PAC-3 MSE succeeds the previous PAC-3 CRI and features a dual-pulse solid rocket motor that boosts the interceptor’s altitude and range performance.
“We continue to see strong demand for PAC-3 MSE around the world and are committed to producing as efficiently as we can to ensure our customers have our unique missile defense technology to deter even the most advanced threats,” said Brenda Davidson, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin.