Lockheed Martin to Quadruple Precision Strike Missile Production

United States – The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Wednesday a deal with defense contractors to ramp up missile production. The ongoing Middle East conflict has forced Washington to rapidly draw down its military stockpiles. On March 25, the Pentagon announced it would quadruple the output of key components for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system.

THAAD is an advanced high-altitude anti-ballistic missile system considered one of the most sophisticated in the world, which has seen extensive use in the Middle East over recent weeks. The agreement reached with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems covers the production of missile guidance seekers.

At the beginning of this year, Lockheed Martin had already announced plans to increase the annual production capacity of the THAAD system from around 100 missiles to approximately 400 missiles over several years. The U.S. Department of Defense has now reached an agreement with this major American defense industrial giant to accelerate production of the PrSM tactical ballistic missile. PrSM is the successor to ATACMS and was first used operationally against Iran.

The Pentagon stated in a press release that the agreement "puts the defense industry into wartime mode" and helps "build a free arsenal." Lockheed Martin confirmed in another statement that PrSM production will thus be quadrupled.

Washington also announced a third agreement with Honeywell Aerospace, aimed at increasing the output of "critical components for U.S. ammunition reserves," including electronic parts.

In a separate statement, Honeywell noted that this framework agreement will involve a $500 million investment over the coming years to upgrade its production capabilities, enabling a "rapid expansion of manufacturing capacity for critical defense technologies." The company is committed to producing more navigation systems, actuators (components for missile maneuverability), and electronic warfare solutions—particularly for medium-range radar-guided AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1860672048859144/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author