Jane Edwards 
- Lockheed Martin has taken delivery of GM Defense-built PAC-3 MSE components
- Production turnaround spanned about three weeks from contract to delivery
- The partnership supports a broader push to scale PAC-3 MSE output
Lockheed Martin has received the first delivery of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or PAC-3 MSE, interceptor missile components produced by GM Defense less than a month after the two companies signed a formal contract.
Lockheed said Thursday the components were delivered under a partnership intended to accelerate production and strengthen the defense industrial base.
What Is the Timeline for the PAC-3 MSE Component Delivery?
Lockheed Martin and GM Defense signed a formal contract on Aug. 6, and the first batch of PAC-3 MSE housing components was delivered on Aug. 28 — a span of about 22 days.
GM Defense produced the components using its casting and machining capabilities, which the companies said were adapted to meet defense manufacturing specifications.
What Did Lockheed & GM Defense Officials Say About the Delivery?
Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed’s missiles and fire control, said the turnaround reflects the company’s focus on faster execution for military customers.
“This extraordinary 22-day turnaround underscores Lockheed Martin’s relentless focus on execution – delivering for our troops faster, with greater capacity,” Cahill said. “Our partnership with GM Defense is a concrete example of how we’re merging world-class commercial manufacturing with defense supply chain and production practices and rapidly translating that into battlefield readiness for the United States.”
Stephen duMont, president and CEO of GM Defense, said the company’s manufacturing expertise supports national defense production needs.
“We’re proud to support production of this country’s critical defense capabilities. Our partnership with Lockheed Martin leverages GM’s precision-fabrication expertise and ability to manufacture with quality at scale,” duMont said.
How Does the PAC-3 MSE Delivery Build on Lockheed’s Broader Production Push?
The initial delivery of PAC-3 MSE components comes as Lockheed works to scale up production across the program. Lockheed and the Department of War agreed to triple annual PAC-3 MSE output from 600 to 2,000 interceptors, and the company also secured a $4.76 billion undefinitized contract action to accelerate production through June 2030. Lockheed Martin is separately investing $8 billion to $9 billion to expand munitions production, including new buildings and site expansions across more than 20 locations nationwide, which the company said is expected to increase production and warehousing space by almost 50 percent.
Alongside these production efforts, Lockheed has expanded the PAC-3 line beyond MSE, debuting PAC-3 ACE alongside the MORFIUS counter-UAS system at the Farnborough International Airshow, and has brought L3Harris Technologies on board under a seven-year, $4.7 billion contract to manufacture PAC-3 MSE propulsion systems.
