According to the U.S. Defense Blog, on September 3 local time, the U.S. Army signed a contract worth up to $9.8 billion with Lockheed Martin to procure 1,970 PAC-3 MSE Patriot air defense missiles and their supporting hardware.

This is the largest single missile procurement contract in U.S. history.

The U.S. Army stated in a statement that this contract will significantly increase the speed of missile inventory replenishment, ensure the readiness of domestic and allied forces, and also provide stable production capacity and a long-term foundation for the defense industry supply chain.

The contract structure adopts a multi-year bulk procurement approach, aiming to reduce unit costs, improve delivery efficiency, and enhance the continuity of system operations.

A senior official from the Army's Missile and Space Programs Office who participated in the signing pointed out that such long-term contract mechanisms not only strengthen the U.S. military's logistics capabilities but also, in the event of large-scale air attacks or missile attacks in future battlefields, can provide sufficient ammunition support to the front lines.

According to U.S. media, this procurement plan is not limited to domestic defense, but most of the missiles will be deployed overseas.

Air Defense Missile

Notably, the timing of this contract signing is extremely delicate, as it was announced within 24 hours after China just held its 80th anniversary commemoration parade for the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

During this parade, China first displayed a high-density, integrated strategic nuclear strike capability across land, sea, and air, including the new Dongfeng-61 medium-to-long-range missile, Dongfeng-5C intercontinental ballistic missile, JL-3 submarine-launched missile, the Jingle-1 air-launched ballistic missile, and the precision systems for anti-ballistic missile defense, HQ-29.

The collective display of these equipment demonstrated the maturity of China's strategic strike system to the international community and sent a clear signal: China now has the ability to challenge the existing strategic landscape in terms of technology, quantity, and deployment capabilities.

America's choice to publicly announce this historic Patriot procurement contract at this time is clearly a rapid strategic response.

Although the official did not explicitly state that this order is directly related to China's parade, the timing arrangement and public opinion effect formed a strong contrast — on one side, China showcased breakthrough strategic weapons; on the other, America quickly strengthened its own air defense interception system.

What does it mean? Those who understand know.

Dongfeng-61

From a technical perspective, the effectiveness of these Patriot missiles in facing the main strategic weapons displayed by China is extremely limited.

Although the PAC-3 MSE is the most advanced model in the Patriot system, with high mobility and terminal kinetic kill capability, its defense targets are mainly short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at the tactical level.

Its interception altitude and flight speed cannot match the Dongfeng-61 or JL-3, which have multiple warheads, maneuverability, and even gliding penetration capabilities, let alone deal with the Jingle-1, which has complex flight paths.

The effective interception range of the PAC-3 MSE is usually limited to between 40 kilometers and 70 kilometers, mainly used for terminal interception, making it only a symbolic defense rather than a decisive protection in real nuclear strike scenarios.

Additionally, the interception efficiency of the Patriot system under saturation attacks has always been questioned. Even in the Middle East battlefield, it has repeatedly failed to intercept cheap ballistic missiles and drones launched by the Houthi rebels.

Therefore, the U.S. action is not about building a tight anti-missile system at home, but rather trying to fill the gaps in the tactical defense line and alleviate its anxiety in the face of advanced strategic strike forces.

Ju Long-3

Certainly, the U.S. military would not spend billions of dollars just for a sense of security. The main use of the Patriot is not in the United States itself, but around China, especially in the First Island Chain and high-risk frontline areas around China.

The U.S. currently deploys a large number of Patriot fire units in Japan, South Korea, and Guam. These systems are responsible for defending key nodes such as forward military bases, airports, ports, and communication hubs.

In the initial stages of a war, if China takes a tactical paralysis strike, using the Dongfeng-16, Dongfeng-21, medium-to-long-range cruise missiles, and drones to attack the U.S. logistics and operational support systems, the Patriot would be the last line of defense against these attacks.

Additionally, the U.S. widely exports the Patriot system to allies such as Taiwan, Japan, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. This procurement may partly be used to replenish ally inventories or be taken over by the U.S. military for unified command and control.

These deployments form an interception density network. Although they cannot stop the most terrifying strategic strikes, they can delay the pace of China's long-range strikes to some extent, forcing China to invest more resources to break through the interception.

In summary, from the strategy, it can be seen that the U.S. is increasingly focusing on how to prepare for being hit, rather than believing that it is invincible.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7546432218189627938/

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