Kristen Smith 
- PAC-3 ACE runs on the existing fire-control system and can counter cruise and short-range ballistic missiles
- MORFIUS needs no dedicated sensor or radar, and Lockheed is speeding up prototype production
- The launches extend a counter-drone push that includes the Sanctum demo and a $25 million Fortem investment
Lockheed Martin has introduced two new low-cost air defense effectors at the Farnborough International Airshow: the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector, or PAC-3 ACE, and the MORFIUS X-Rotor counter-drone system. The company unveiled both Monday.
PAC-3 ACE is an interceptor priced at less than half the per-unit cost of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement. MORFIUS X-Rotor is an airborne high-power microwave system designed to take out more than 50 drones in one flight, after which crews can recover and reuse it again.
What Makes PAC-3 ACE a Lower-Cost Interceptor?
The interceptor runs on the existing PAC-3 fire-control system and ties into the Patriot weapon system and the Integrated Battle Command System. Lockheed said PAC-3 ACE could counter air-breathing threats, cruise missiles, and close- and short-range ballistic missiles from a single platform. It plans to develop and produce the interceptor with American and European partners to ensure interoperability.
“American and allied warfighters need a solution that is battle-tested and budget-smart, and PAC-3 ACE delivers exactly that by building on the unrivaled performance of the PAC-3 MSE,” said Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
How Does MORFIUS Fit Lockheed’s Counter-Drone Push?
Lockheed said MORFIUS is sensor- and command-and-control-agnostic, meaning it does not depend on a dedicated sensor or fire-control radar to guide an engagement. It is accelerating prototype production of the system and its microwave payload and planning further flight tests, building on trials in Arizona, California and Oklahoma. The company ties MORFIUS to the War Department’s Rapid Response Counter-UAS Roadmap for 2025 through 2028 and notes the platform grew out of earlier variants that first took flight in 2017.
Randy Crites, vice president and general manager of advanced programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said the system delivers a high kill rate while holding down cost per kill.
The launches come amid a broader counter-drone buildout at the company. Recently, Lockheed demonstrated its Sanctum system intercepting a Group 3 attack drone using a Joint Air-to-Ground Missile fired from a containerized launcher, with the components integrated in 45 days. The company also invested $25 million in Fortem Technologies in April to fold Fortem’s radar sensors and autonomous interceptors into Sanctum.
How Does This Extend Lockheed’s Missile Defense Portfolio?
Beyond the two new effectors, Lockheed has been building out its missile defense business through recent contracts and program wins. Lockheed secured a potential $35 billion undefinitized contract in June to more than quadruple annual production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, one of the first multiyear deals under the War Department’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy. The Space Force also selected the company in May to help develop its Space-Based Interceptor program for orbital missile defense.
