The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of five (5) Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. The Government of Switzerland requested to buy five (5) Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units, consisting of: five (5) AN/MPQ-65 Radar Sets; five (5) AN/MSQ-132 Engagement Control Stations; seventeen (17) M903 Launching Stations; up to seventy (70) Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile Tactical (GEM-T) Missiles; seven (7) Antenna Mast Groups; five (5) Electrical Power Plants (EPP) III; and six (6) Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) (11) Block Upgrade Two (BU2).
Also included are communications equipment; tools and test equipment; range and test programs; support equipment to include associated vehicles; prime movers; generators; publications and technical documentation; training equipment; spare and repair parts; personnel training; Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT); U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services; Systems Integration and Checkout (SICO); field office support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The prime contractors will be Raytheon Corporation, Tewksbury, Massachusetts and Lockheed-Martin, Dallas, Texas. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly European nation which is an important force for political stability and economic progress within Europe.The proposed sale of the Patriot missile system will improve Switzerland’s missile defense capability. Switzerland will use the Patriot to defend its territorial integrity and for regional stability. The proposed sale supports Switzerland’s goal of improving national and territorial defense. Switzerland will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.
The most modern/current variant of Patriot is called Patriot Configuration 3+, not PAC-3. PAC-3 is one of the missiles used by Configuration 3+, but as Patriot is an entire system, not just a missile, the Config 3+ enhancements involve a whole suite of upgrades and capabilities. One of them is enabling the system to take advantage of the PAC-3 MSE capabilities, but there are many other things, such as a better user interface and increased reliability, that Config 3+ has. The systems have new hardware and software components, added in 2017. The Configuration-3 ground equipment, PAC-3 and GEM-T series of missiles were proven in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
