Lockheed Martin заключила 3 контракта на посттавку новых ракет PAC-3 д

PAC-3 contracts for Lockheed Martin
http://defence-data.com/storypic/pac3.jpg [not image]
6 January 2000

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control - Dallas has received three contracts valued at more than $143 million for the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile.



PAC-3
The PAC-3 Missile is a high velocity, hit-to-kill missile and is the next generation Patriot missile being developed to provide increased capability against advanced theater ballistic missile, cruise missile and hostile aircraft. The PAC-3 Missile kills incoming targets by direct, body-to-body impact. When deployed in a Patriot battery, the new missiles will increase the Patriot system's firepower significantly, since 16 PAC-3 Missiles can be loaded on a Patriot launcher, compared with four Patriot missiles.

The first contract is a $48 million Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for the production of 20 PAC-3 Missiles. Production of the missiles will take place at the company's manufacturing facilities in Lufkin, Texas, and Camden, Ark.

"We're very pleased to see the PAC-3 Missile enter Low Rate Initial Production. This means we are one step closer to getting this missile in the hands of end-user, the U.S. soldier," said Mike Trotsky, vice president - air defense programs for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control - Dallas.

With the LRIP contract signed, the PAC-3 Missile program is on schedule for First Unit Equipped (FUE), planned for CY 2001. The first unit to receive the PAC-3 Missile will be the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery (ADA) of the 35th ADA Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas. The 2-1 ADA is currently training with upgraded equipment capable of launching PAC-3 Missiles. This equipment includes prototype PAC-3 Missile canisters, Fire Solution Computers (FSC) and an Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES). The early fielding of PAC-3 Missile ground equipment is permitting the troops for 2/1 ADA to become fully proficient in PAC-3 Missile operations prior to the fielding of the PAC-3 Missile.

The second contract is a Special Configuration Hardware contract for $17.6 million from AMCOM for the PAC-3 Missile, a modification to the existing Long Lead Items contract awarded to the company in December 1997. The contract funds the procurement of a special four-pack munition, which includes a four-pack canister with three PAC-3 missiles and one missile mass simulator, along with additional flight test hardware. Production of the missiles will take place at the company's manufacturing facilities in Camden, Ark., and Lufkin, Texas.

The third contract, worth $78 million, is a modification to the PAC-3 Missile Low Rate Initial Production contract (LRIP) and funds the procurement of PAC-3 Missile production items and associated ground launch equipment. Production of the missiles will take place at the company's manufacturing facilities in Camden, Ark., and Lufkin, Texas.

The PAC-3 Missile has had four consecutive successful engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) test flights since 1997. The first two EMD missions were successfully conducted with special instrumentation packages in place of the full-up PAC-3 Missile seeker. The tests were structured to check critical systems and missile performance prior to conducting target intercept flight tests. The first PAC-3 Missile target intercept flight was on March 15, 1999. The second followed on September 16, 1999.

In addition to the four successful PAC-3 Missile EMD flight tests, the PAC-3's predecessor missile, the Extended-Range Interceptor, demonstrated three hits in a row during the demonstration/validation program in 1994. Two of those tests involved TBM targets and one involved an air-breathing target (simulating a cruise missile or aircraft).

Defence Systems Daily

А предельная дальность и высота новой ракеты неизвестны?

У PAC-3 насколько помню только голова новая, ну и соответственно всяческие системы управления/наведения поменялись. А все остальное вроде от предыдущей инкарнации осталось. Точную инфу наврядли найдешь, но обычно указывается дальность >70 км, высота >24 км.