The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Kuwait of eighty-four (84) Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements (MSEs) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $800 million. Patriot PAC-3 MSEs will supplement and improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats and provide greater security for its critical oil and natural gas infrastructure. Kuwait will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland air defense by better meeting current and future air threats. The acquisition of these missiles will allow for integration with U.S. forces for training exercises, which contributes to regional security and interoperability. Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces. The principal contractor involved in this program is Lockheed Martin Corporation (Grand Prairie), Dallas, TX. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
The Government of Kuwait has requested to buy eighty-four (84) Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements (MSEs) with canisters; two (2) Patriot MSE test missiles 2-Pack per unit of issue; thirty-five (35) remanufactured (upgrades): Patriot modification kit, missile launchers A902+ Series to A903 Series; twenty-six (26) PAC-3 Missile Round Trainer (MRT); and twenty-six (26) Empty Round Trainer (ERT). Also included is one (1) Flight Test Target -Zombie, PAC-3 missile spares held in Continental United States (CONUS) for repair and return, two (2) PAC-3 telemetry kits, training devices, simulators, transportation, organizational equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
The family of Lockheed Martin PAC-3 missiles are high-velocity interceptors that defend against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles (TBM), cruise missiles and aircraft. The missile defeats incoming targets by direct, body-to-body impact. The PAC-3 Missile uses a solid propellant rocket motor, aerodynamic controls, attitude control motors (ACMs) and inertial guidance to navigate. The missile flies to an intercept point specified prior to launch by its ground-based fire solution computer, which is embedded in the engagement control station. Target trajectory data can be updated during missile flyout by means of a radio frequency uplink/downlink. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is the prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade to the Patriot air defense system. Fourteen nations – the U.S., Germany, Kuwait, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Poland, Sweden and Bahrain have chosen PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE to provide missile defense capabilities.
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target” which is a backronym for PATRIOT. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army’s primary High to Medium Air Defense (HIMAD) system, and replaced the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army’s medium tactical air defense system. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given the function of the U.S. Army’s anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system, which is now Patriot’s primary mission. The Patriot PAC-3 upgrade is a significant upgrade to nearly every aspect of the system. It took place in three stages deployed in 1995, 1996 and 2000, and units were designated Configuration 1, 2, or 3. The system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.
