Patriot system
The USA’s MIM-104 Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept On Target (PATRIOT) anti-air missile system offers an advanced backbone for medium-range air defense, and short-range ballistic missile defense, to America and its allies. This article covers domestic and foreign purchase requests and contracts for Patriot systems. It also compiles information about the engineering service contracts that upgrade these systems, ensure that they continue to work, and integrate them with wider command and defense systems.
The Patriot missile franchise’s future appears assured. At present, 12 nations have chosen it as a key component of their air and missile defense systems: the USA, Germany, Greece, Japan, Israel, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the UAE. Poland, Qatar, and Turkey have all indicated varying levels of interest, and some existing customers are looking to upgrade their systems.
The Patriot Missile Family
BBC: 2013 report
click for video
A Patriot firing battery includes several components: an antenna mast group, radar, electric power station, launchers, ECC command center, and maintenance center. They are carried on a mix of heavy and medium trucks.
The OE-349 antenna mast group is usually carried on a M927 5-Ton truck.
The radar set is either an AN/MPQ-53 radar for PAC-2 systems, or an AN/MPQ-65 for PAC-3 systems, and is carried by a 10-ton M983 HEMTT truck pulling a M860 semitrailer. That equipment needs a lot of power, hence the truck mounted electric power plant, with 2 150kW generators on a modified HEMTT.
An AN/MSQ-104 engagement control station acts as the command center, pulled by a 5-ton FMTV or similar truck, and a semi-trailer maintenance center rounds out the battery. A battalion is usually made up of 4-6 batteries, with a command center and maintenance center of its own. It can include up to 600 soldiers including command, maintenance, and other roles.
With the other ground elements deployed, the battery’s 8 x M901 launching stations can be effective, deploying over a wide area on fully self-contained M983 HEMTT trucks pulling M860 semitrailers. In a PAC-2 battery, each launching station has 4 missiles, for a total of 32. In a PAC-3 battery, each launching station has 16 missiles, for a total of 128.
PAC-3 test launch
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Raytheon is the prime contractor for the Patriot system as a whole. The most current standard for the Patriot’s ground systems is known as “Configuration 3″, and is compatible with both PAC-2 and PAC-3 launchers.
In 2002, Raytheon completed a separate upgrade of their PAC-2 missiles, which became known as Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile Plus (GEM+). GEM missiles, including next-step upgrades like GEM-C/T, are essentially PAC-2 systems that still use the larger PAC-2 fragmentation missiles, but have a range of improvements to their guidance systems, fuzes, etc. GEM-T is optimized against tactical ballistic missiles, while GEM-C is optimized against cruise missiles. They’re fielded by the USA and by foreign militaries, such as Israel and South Korea. In 2003, the U.S. military launched approximately 20 PAC-2 missiles during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the majority of which were GEM interceptors.
The current US standard for new-build Patriot Missiles is the PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability 3). While Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 missile is as long as previous Raytheon versions, it’s thinner and weighs only 30% as much (688 vs. 2,000 pounds). PAC-3 uses a “hit-to-kill” approach, instead of the PAC-2′s large fragmentation warhead, which allows it to packs more missiles per launcher (16 instead of 4). Its enhanced capabilities also allow it to be used for point defense against ballistic missiles, and its Config-3 ground systems also feature a range of improvements to the battery’s radar, communications, electronics, and software. The latest PAC-3 variant is the PAC-3 CRI (Cost Reduction Initiative).
Lockheed Martin produces the PAC-3 missile, including the hit-to-kill interceptor, the missile canister 4-packs, a fire solution computer, and an Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES). It has been exported to Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Taiwan, and the UAE. In recent years, American production has tailed off, and the production line has been weighted in favor of foreign orders, as the table below demonstrates:
PAC-3 MSE drawing
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After 2013′s orders are delivered, foreign orders will be the only thing sustaining PAC-3 missile production. The reason for that is a new missile. The multinational MEADS R&D program looks set to end, but it produced a PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) design that will become part of existing PATRIOT batteries.
PAC-3 MSE is designed to be a longer range missile that is more agile, and able to counter both tactical ballistic missiles and more conventional threats. Improvements begin with a higher performance, dual-pulse, 11″ diameter Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) design, a thermally hardened front end for longer fly out, enlarged fixed fins, more responsive control surfaces, upgraded guidance software, an improved Hit-To-Kill system, and upgraded batteries. They’re also pushing toward Insensitive Munitions (IM) compliance in order to lower safety risks, and a more compliant propellant for the SRM is being developed. The missile’s “single canister” design concept is similar to the Navy’s approach with its “all-up-rounds” for delivery, transport storage, and firing.
An even more interesting variant is Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Patriot-based air-launched hit-to-kill (ALHTK) concept, which would be launched from fighter jets and used to target ballistic missiles during their vulnerable but hard-to-reach launch phase. Initial studies are underway, and development of ALHTK would reportedly cost at least $137 million. It is competing for potential interest with Raytheon’s NCADE concept, which is a modified AIM-120 AMRAAM. To date, neither has much traction in the marketplace, but global events could change that in a hurry.
Patriot Engineering Services Contracts
ECS command vehicle
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PATRIOT Engineering support is a sole source contract initiated on Aug 26/03 by the Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-04-C-0020). A follow-on contract was issued in FY 2009 (W31P4Q-09-C-0057).
Raytheon releases note that “engineering support” includes system and software engineering, hardware engineering, system testing, quality assurance, configuration management, logistic support and program management. The contract also funds specific tasks, including the implementation of the architecture for the first phase of the Combined Aggregate Program (CAP), CAP phase 2 studies, system of system architecture studies, Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) missile integration and missile segment enhancement, and conducting annual service practice missile firings. The CAP program aligns the Patriot system to incorporate and field Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) Major End Items (MEIs) as they become available.
Excel
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The overall program is an international cooperative effort, in which foreign partners both fund and benefit from common support. The FY 2004 – 2009 umbrella contract called for engineering services tasks to be performed specifically for Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Taiwan. Beginning in 2009, South Korea and the UAE added themselves to that list.
What follows are all of the publicly-announced disbursements since the FY 2004 base award:
Work on PATRIOT Engineering Services is generally performed at Raytheon IDS HQ in Tewksbury, MA; its Integrated Air Defense Center in next-door Andover, MA; its Missile Defense Center in Woburn, MA; its Integrated Force Protection and Security Center in Huntsville, AL; its Mission Capability Verification Center at White Sands Missile Range, NM; and additional Raytheon facilities that include Burlington, MA and El Paso, TX. The vast majority of work is done in Tewksbury and Andover, MA. These facilities also process Patriot Advanced Configuration-2 (PAC-2) and Guidance Enhanced Missile-T (GEM-T) missiles for stockpile reliability testing, recertification and repair in support of the Patriot Field Surveillance program.
The USA’s Patriot Programs
Patriot operation
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Budgets for PATRIOT systems as a whole are difficult to quantify, as recent years have seen them fully conflated with the separate MEADS program. Beyond MEADS, however, the U.S. Army has 2 important Patriot programs underway: “Pure Fleet” and “Grow the Army.”
Grow the Army adds 2 battalions to the Patriot force structure, which will carry PAC-3 missiles.
Pure Fleet involves upgrading all its ground systems to Configuration-3. It will not necessarily replace all missiles in these batteries, which are often a mixed PAC-3/PAC-2 fleet, and are expected to remain so. What it will do, is make all batteries capable of firing the latest missiles, and ensure that the system’s technologies are kept up to date. This involves upgrades of multiple ground systems, and will be coupled with PAC-2 GEM-T missile upgrades under “continuous technology refreshment” programs.
Beyond the USA, America is working with Japan on missile defense. Japan’s system will use the long-range naval SM-3 missiles as the outer layer, and Patriot PAC-3s as the point defense component. Japan has been licensed to produce its own Patriot PAC-3s.
Beyond Patriot, the USA is also involved in the tri-national American/ German/ Italian MEADS project. Pentagon documents started to lump the Patriot and its successor MEADS together after 2006, making it difficult to track each system. The 2 air defense systems use very different technologies throughout, but the Pentagon’s treatment of MEADS in its documents may have been prescient. MEADS became an R&D-only effort in 2011, which may feed in some of its elements as future PATRIOT upgrades. Patriot system production appears to be secure for the near future.
One element that will survive from MEADS is the improved PAC-3 MSE missile, which is becoming its own program. The MSE takes the PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) missile design as its base, and the Army hopes this will lower its overall cost per missile. By 2015, the Army expects the more capable PAC-3 MSE to cost less per missile (around $7.5 million) than the current PAC-3 (about $7.6 million), with costs continuing to drop toward an average of about $5.5 million over the life of the program. The USA plans to order 1,680 of them in the coming years.
Other Patriot-Related Contracts & Events
Unless otherwise specified, contracts are awarded by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL.
FY 2014
Caption
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Jan 29/14: R&D. Raytheon in Andover, MA receives a $107.9 million in FY 2014 RDT&E funds for work on the Patriot missile system.
All funds are committed immediately. Work will be performed at Andover, Billerica, Burlington, and Tewksbury, MA; El Segundo CA; El Paso TX; Huntsville AL; Norfolk VA; Pelham NH; and White Sands, NM until July 31/14 (W31P4Q-09-C-0057, PO 0108).
Jan 28/14: DOT&E Testing Report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2012 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E), which features the PAC-3 & MSE. It was a good year for PATRIOT testing, with 5 PAC-3 & MSE tests that killed 4 ballistic missiles and 3 cruise missiles. The Army also addressed 14/21 recommendations from last year’s report, but there are still a few areas of concern.
The latest overall system version is Post Deployment Build-7 (PDB-7), which offered improvements against some threats compared to PDB-6.5 (q.v. Jan 17/12), and a step back against others. Those details are classified, but Army engagement procedures are said to be part of the problem. At the same time, DOT&E publicly spotlights reliability issues with the PATRIOT’s radar, which doesn’t collect key reliability data from the field, and training that isn’t adequate for complex engagements.
On the testing front, PATRIOT’s use against radar-killing ARM missiles is all models and simulations. Those are air defense killers, so a real test or 2 seems like a good idea. DOT&E also wants the Army to conduct PATRIOT testing during joint and coalition exercises that include large numbers of different aircraft types, sensors, battle management elements, and weapons systems, while conducting cyber-penetration testing of the system. Having PATRIOT act as a live interceptor backup while testing other systems like THAAD could also be helpful, especially in cases like the FTI-01′s SM-3 test failure.
Nov 14/13: R&D. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $16.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for “the design, development, production, and fielding of a mobile capability outside the continental United States for reconstitution of 4-pack PAC-3 launcher assemblies.”
$4.2 million in FY 2014 funds is committed immediately. Estimated completion date is Nov 30/15. Work location is Grand Prairie, TX. One bid was solicited and one received (W31P4Q-14-C-0022).
Dec 31/13: Kuwait. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $263.4 million firm-fixed-price contract from the Emirate of Kuwait for 14 Patriot missile 4-packs and 7 launcher modification kits. Kuwait operates PATRIOT PAC-2 batteries, and is in the process of converting some of them to the PAC-3/Config-3 standard (q.v. July 25/12, July 2/13), while enhancing others with PAC-2 GEM-T missiles.
$23.8 million is committed immediately. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX; Lufkin, TX; Camden, AR; Chelmsford, MA; Ocala, FL; El Paso, TX; Huntsville, AL; and Anaheim, CA; and will run until June 30/16. One bid was solicited with one received by US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL, who acts as Kuwait’s agent (W31P4Q-14-C-0034).
Oct 25/13: South Korea. The US DSCA announces South Korea’s official request to buy 112 Patriot Anti-Tactical Missiles (basically PAC-2), which will be upgraded to the GEM-T configuration via a follow-on Direct Commercial Sale. They’ll also buy test equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training, publications and technical data, and other forms of Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $404 million.
Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA will be the prime contractor, and would also be the contractor for any DCS GEM-T upgrade. No additional US Government or contractor representatives will be deployed long-term, though teams will travel to the country on a temporary basis for logistics support. Sources: US DSCA #13-55.
DSCA: South Korea PAC-2/GEM-Ts
Oct 17/13: Support. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $17.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, multi-year foreign military sales contract modification for PATRIOT repair and return services. This FMS contract is in support of Israel, Kuwait, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL will act as their FMS agent (W31P4Q-13-C-0111, PO 0004).
FY 2013
Annual order; Kuwait begins PAC-3 orders; Raytheon discusses major upgrades to ground systems; New PAC-3 MSE aces twin-kill; South Korea pushed to PAC-3 by PAC-2′s BMD performance; Deployment to Turkey; Corruption investigation in Greece; Good PAC-3 performance in varied FIT-01 BMD test.
New MMS Interface
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Sept 23/13: MMS upgrades. Raytheon in Andover, MA received a $44.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to buy PATRIOT MMS (modern manstation) upgrade kits for the USA and Kuwait.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA as a non-competitive acquisition, with 1 bid received by US Army Contracting Command (Missile) at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-13-C-0017).
Sept 9/13: Support. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA, was awarded a $9.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee multi-year contract modification of contract for foreign military sales for repair and return of Patriot missile parts. This contract was a foreign military sale to: Israel, Kuwait, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Republic of the Netherlands and United Arab Emirates.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA as a non-competitive contract, with the US Army Contracting Command – Missile at Redstone Arsenal, AL acting as the program agent for these countries (W31P4Q-13-C-0111, PO 0003).
Aug 31/13: PAAC-4? Raytheon’s partnership with Israel’s RAFAEL is about to result in a challenge to Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3/MSE missiles. Raytheon is RAFAEL’s US marketing partner for the well-known Iron Dome, and RAFAEL’s development partner for a different, longer-range system called David’s Sling. It will replace Israeli MIM-23 Hawk and PATRIOT PAC-2 batteries, and the US military has expressed cautious interest. The firms’ American proposal would integrate the 2-stage, EO and radar-guided, hit-to-kill Stunner/ Magic Wand missile into PATRIOT Config-3 ground systems.
What’s the attraction of a “Patriot Advanced Affordable Configuration 4″? Cost. The new PAC-3 MSE missile is just starting production, and budget figures show a production cost of about $6.3 million each in 2018. That’s expected to drop, but even a standard PAC-3 missile at full-rate production costs around $3.3 million. Raytheon and RAFAEL are touting Stunner cost figures that amount to less than $500,000 per missile, assuming 60% production in the USA, and the savings would be noticeable even if they doubled that cost. For $20 million, they’re prepared to prove their claims and build a prototype.
There are 2 catches here. The first is operational. David’s Sling won’t be fielded in Israel until 2014, and its initial block won’t have key capabilities like cruise missile/ UAV interception, or the ability to hit maneuvering ballistic targets. The 2nd catch is that the PAC-3 is well tested by the Army, and the MSE variant that begins production in FY 2014 is a derivative successor with full-spectrum capabilities. Unless further cuts really bite the Army hard, they’re going to be reluctant to embrace a less proven missile with fewer capabilities, even if the cost savings are significant. Sources: Defense News, “Raytheon-Rafael Pitch 4th-Gen Patriot System” | RAFAEL: Stunner (David’s Sling).
Aug 30/13: R&D. Lockheed Martin in Grand Praire, TX receives a $44.1 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to redesign the PAC-3′s tactical telemetry.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie and Lufkin, TX; Chelmsford, MA; Ocala, FL, and Camden, AR, with funding from FY 2013 other authorization funds. One bid was received (W31P4Q-12-G-0001, PO 006).
Aug 26/13: Support. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a maximum $7.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PAC-3 and MSE engineering services, support for launchers’ ELES and fire solution computer software, and hardware post deployment.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX using FY 2012 “other procurement” funding. This contract was a competitive acquisition via the web with one bid received – though realistically, it’s unlikely that any other firm could have won. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Missile at Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W31P4Q-12-G-0001).
Aug 23/13: Support. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a maximum $20.5 million cost-plus-incentive fee contract to redesign the PAC-3 and MSE’s Simplified Inertial Measurement Units (SIMU) and remove obsolete/ out-of-production parts. Inertial measurement uses very accurate accelerometers to help the missile know where it is in space, relative to its launch point.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX; Clearwater, FL, Minneapolis, MN, and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, using FY 2013 Other Procurement funds. This contract was a non-competitive acquisition, with 1 bid solicited and 1 received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command ? Redstone Arsenal (Missile), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-12-G-0001, Order 0004).
Aug 15/13: Testing. Another PAC-3 test against a ballistic missile target. Two missiles ripple-fired at White Sands, NM, and the target is destroyed by the 1st missile. Sources: Lockheed Martin Aug 15/13 release.
July 2/13: FY 2013. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $308.3 million firm-fixed-price contract modification from the USA and Kuwait. The Gulf Emirate becomes the PAC-3 missile’s 6th export customer, alongside Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Taiwan, and the UAE. Discussions with Lockheed Martin confirm that the total for the Jan 3/13 order and this one amount to 244 PAC-3 tactical missiles and 72 PAC-2 to PAC-3 launcher modification kits. The cumulative total face value of this contract is now $1.063 billion.
PAC-3 launchers mount 16 missiles instead of just 4 PAC-2s per launcher, and use some different systems. The modification kits include 4 PAC-3 Missile quad-pack canisters, a fire solution computer, an ELES (Enhanced Launcher Electronics System), and launcher support hardware.
The implication is that Kuwait is ordering 48 modification kits, but the missile buys don’t add. US Army budget FY 2014 justification documents show just 84 PAC-3 missiles, as the USA’s final order for the type. FY 2013 documents show 40 missiles for Taiwan, completing their multi-year order for 386, and FY 2014 documents show 60 missiles for Kuwait, beginning in that fiscal year. Lockheed Martin’s Jan 10/13 release left 44 missiles unaccounted for (168 – 40 = 128), and this release raises that number to 60, even if we presume that Kuwait has moved its entire FY 2014 buy into FY 2013 (244 – 84 – 40 – 60 = 60). DID is seeking to clarify.
$151.1 million is committed immediately, and the US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL both manages American buys, and acts as Kuwait’s agent for those sales. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Lufkin and El Paso, TX; Camden, AR; Chelmsford, MA; Ocala, FL; Huntsville, AL; and Anaheim, CA (W31P4Q-13-C-0068, PO 0002). Deliveries will begin in 2014. See also: Lockheed Martin Aug 12/13 release.
FY 2013 PAC-3, Part 2: USA & Kuwait
Aug 1/13: Testing. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $25.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for the new PAC-3 MSE missile’s follow on test program. $6.1 million is committed immediately, and the cumulative total face value of this contract is now $51 million (W31P4Q-07-G-0001, #001213).
Aug 1/13: Support. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $9.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for unscheduled maintenance at the PAC-3 Missile Support Center. This brings the contract’s total value so far to $29.5 million (W31P4Q-13-D-0030, #0005).
July 25/13: Support. Raytheon in Huntsville, AL receives a modification to their $16.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, option-filled, multi-year contract, paying for PATRIOT depot-level diagnostics and repair. The cumulative total face value of this contract is now $31.1 million. Work will be performed in Fort Sill, OK; El Paso, TX; Fort Bragg, NC; and Fort Hood, TX (W91P4Q-12-C-0238, PO 0004).
June 27/13: Training. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a maximum $19.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for PATRIOT Mobile Flight Simulators. $9.6 million in FY 2013 RDT&E funds are committed immediately.
Work will be performed in White Sands Missile Range, NM, and Andover, MA. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-13-C-0018).
June 18/13: Upgrades. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $10.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, for PATRIOT Radar Digital Processor Upgrade Kits (q.v. May 10/13 entry), bringing the contract’s cumulative total value to $21.2 million. FY 2013 Procurement funds are being committed (W31P4Q-13-C-0016).
June 16/13: Kuwait, Germany. Raytheon’s VP of Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Sanjay Kapoor, tells Bloomberg that negotiations to sell Kuwait its next set of PATRIOT equipment and missiles (q.v. July 25/12 entry) are almost done.
Germany is discussing an upgrade of its own PATRIOT systems, and wants to incorporate elements of MEADS after spending all that R&D money. Bloomberg.
June 7/13: MSE Splash 2. The improved PAC-3 MSE aces its 1st major test at White Sands Missile Range, NM, killing both a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) target and a cruise missile.
The TBM got 2 ripple-fired missiles, but the 1st hit so #2 self-destructed. Missile #3 took out the BQM-74 jet-powered target drone. Preliminary data indicates that all test objectives were achieved. Lockheed Martin | Raytheon.
June 3/13: Support. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Grand Prairie, TX receives a maximum $12 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PAC-3 field support services.
Fiscal 2013 Procurement funds this award, and work will be performed in Dallas, TX; Kuwait; El Paso, TX; Killeen, TX; Lawton, OK; Fayetteville, NC; Bahrain; Germany; Japan; Korea; Qatar; Turkey; and the United Arab Emirates. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-13-C-0100).
May 10/13: Support. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $32.1 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification, extending recertification and repair services in support of the PAC-3 Missile Support Center program. The cumulative total face value of this contract is now $91 million. FY 2013 Operation and Maintenance funds are being used to find this award (W31P4Q-12-C-0100, PO 0014).
Upgrades
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May 10/13: Raytheon’s Upgrades. Raytheon discusses major design and manufacturing changes to the PATRIOT Config 3 ground systems, and PAC-2 GEM missiles, over the last few years. The firm says that designers have invested more than $400 million over the last 4 years to change manufacturing, improve performance, and make the system more reliable. That’s a big deal, after a DOT&E report (q.v. Jan 17/12 entry) that slammed the system’s “poor radar reliability and system availability”.
First, the components themselves have changed. The introduction of the new Radar Digital Processor in the Configuration-3 radar eliminates older components, provides a 12x improvement in mean time between failure, and increases radar processing efficiency. Innovations include radar system chips that have shrunk by 87.5%, and would almost fit into the grooves on a dime’s side. Meanwhile, Radar Digital Processor has dropped from 435 circuit cards to 5 in one of its assemblies, 16 power supplies have been combined into 1, and wiring that used to require 31 cables now takes 10. The space this opened up could house some refrigerator models, and is available for future upgrades. Similar changes have taken place within the PAC-2 GEM-T missile, even as the Config-3 control room got a big makeover with color touch screens, faster computers, etc.
In tandem with that, the manufacturing processes have changed, as work crews ripped out whole sections of the factory to installed brand-new machinery. New ceramics are used in the missile’s radome. Computer-controlled tools that can compensate for room temperature and other factors cut beams to support the radar’s antenna. “Chip shooter” machines install 30,000 components an hour, making cleaner connections.
The first new GEM-T missile was fired at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in August 2011, followed by a test firing of the first complete, new-production Patriot system in 2012 (q.v. March 29/12 entry). Raytheon: Release | Feature | Infographic [PDF, view at 200+%]
Raytheon’s Config-3 & PAC-2 upgrades
April 12/13: PAC-3 Testing. Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Missile successfully detects, tracks and intercepts a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) in a Lower Tier Project Office flight test at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The 1st missile kills it, and so the 2nd one self-destructs.
It’s one of the steps along the path to the PAC-3 MSE’s big test at White Sands, later this year. Lockheed Martin.
April 10/13: FY 2014 Budget. The President releases a proposed budget at last, the latest in modern memory. The Senate and House were already working on budgets in his absence, but the Pentagon’s submission is actually important to proceedings going forward. See ongoing DID coverage. FY 2014 is a big transition for PATRIOT, as PAC-3 missiles are no longer being ordered, and PAC-3 MSE missile production begins in earnest. Relevant figures can be found in the article’s charts.
April 1/13: PAC-2 GEM-T Recert. Raytheon announces that its PAC-2/ GEM-T missiles have received US Army approval for a 2nd recertification, extending the world-wide fleet’s operational life from 30 – 45 years. Recertification and upgrades can be done at a fraction of replacement cost, and since replacements are likely to be Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3s, that’s a very good selling point for Raytheon.
The decision comes on the heels of a recent $46.7 million U.S. Army contract awarded to Raytheon to recertify and upgrade Patriot missiles to the latest GEM-T configuration, as part of the continuous Patriot modernization effort. Raytheon.
Feb 11/13: Sweden. Sweden’s deputy prime minister and Liberal Party leader Jan Bjorklund thinks Sweden’s military capabilities have hit a dangerous level, and believe the country needs to place national defense priorities before international missions as Russia begins to re-arm.
What’s unusual is that he openly suggested buying PATRIOT missiles from the USA during an interview with Svenska Dagbladet, and proposed to base them on the Baltic island of Gotland as forward air defense. MBDA probably feels slighted that their longer-range Aster-30 SAMP/T wasn’t mentioned.
The comments come about a month after Swedish Armed Forces commander-in-chief Sverker Göransson said that the country could only defend itself for about a week under sustained attack. It probably didn’t make things any more comfortable when Danish NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the same annual security conference that Sweden couldn’t count on NATO coming to their defense, despite Swedish membership in NATO’s Partnership for Peace. The Local.
Jan 7/13: Testing. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $12.5 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to establish a PAC-3 MSE Missile Field Test Program.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX, with an estimated completion date of March 31/14. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-13-C-0094).
Jan 3/13: PAC-3. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $755.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for PAC-3 missiles and related services, which includes support for Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan.
The contract covers 168 hit-to-kill PAC-3 Missiles, 27 launcher modification kits and associated tooling, and program management and services. This is the US government’s 14th production buy of the PAC-3 Missile. US Army budget documents place Taiwan’s FY 2013 order at 40 missiles, completing their multi-year order for 386.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie & Lufkin, TX; Camden, AR; Chelmsford, MA; and Ocala, FL; with an estimated completion date of July 31/15. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W31P4Q-13-C-0068). See also Lockheed Martin 2013-01-10 release.
FY 2013 PAC-3
Jan 3/13: Taiwan. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $72.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for PATRIOT Config-3 spares in support of Foreign Military Sales. Raytheon confirms to DID that these are spares for Taiwan.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA, and El Paso, TX, with an estimated completion date of Nov 30/15. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-09-G-0002).
Jan 3/13: Taiwan. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $22.7 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for PATRIOT Technical Refresh Spares. Raytheon confirms to DID that these are for Taiwan.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA with an estimated completion date of Dec 31/14. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-09-G-0002).
Jan 3/13: Kuwait. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $22.2 million firm-fixed-price contract modification buying PATRIOT Spare Parts. Raytheon confirms to DID that these are are for Kuwait.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/14. One bid was solicited, with one bid received (W31P4Q-09-G-0002).
Dec 20/12: CTR. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $46.7 million firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the modernization of the PATRIOT Advanced Capability missiles through the continuous technology refreshment program.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA with an estimated completion date of Dec 17/16. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received. US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W31P4Q-13-C-0088).
Nov 28/12: Saudi Arabia. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Saudi Arabia’s official request to buy technical services and re-certify up to 300 PATRIOT PAC-2 GEMs (MIM-104D Guidance Enhanced Missiles). They also want to perform some modernization of existing equipment, and receive spare and repair parts, support equipment, and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $130 million.
The DSCA says that proposed re-certification program will allow the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces to extend the shelf life of the PAC-2 missiles for another 12 years. Raytheon Corporation in Andover, MA will be the prime contractor, but the US Army’s Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, PA will perform the re-certification. Implementation of this proposed sale will require 1 Raytheon representative to travel to the Missile Assembly Disassembly Facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on an extended basis for missile assembly/disassembly support, system checkout, training and technical and logistics support.
DSCA: Saudis request PATRIOT PAC-2 re-cert
Dec 14/12: To Turkey. The USA will send 2 batteries of Patriot missiles and 400 troops to Turkey, as part of a NATO force meant to protect Turkish territory from potential Syrian missile attack. Germany and the Netherlands had already agreed to provide 2 PATRIOT batteries each, along with 400 German and 360 Dutch troops, bringing the total number of Patriot batteries slated for Turkey to 6. Yahoo! News.
Oct 29/12: Greece. Up to 8 Greek arms deals signed since the late 1990s are the subjects of investigations into illegal bribes and kickbacks, and Greece’s purchase of US-made Patriot missiles has advanced to the docket of an investigating magistrate. Investigators are probing bank accounts and offshore companies, and some cases involve more than 1 defense minister.
There is a precedent in former PASOK (socialist) Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who sits in Korydallos Prison awaiting charges for money laundering during his 1996 – 2001 term. ekathimerini.
Oct 28/12: South Korea. A joint study by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses and the US Missile Defense Agency concludes that the PATRIOT PAC-2 system has an interception success rate of below 40% against ballistic missiles. South Korea’s government looked at that, then concluded that they need to buy PAC-3 batteries, in order to push their odds above 70% for covered areas.
The PAC-3 systems appear to be a priority, with deliveries to begin in 2014. To achieve that, a DSCA export request will need to be issued in the very near future. As PAC-3 systems arrive, South Korea reportedly plans to divert their billion-dollar buy of German PAC-2 batteries to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles. ROK’s Yonhap News Agency | Chosun Ilbo.
Oct 25/12: FIT-01 Test. Pacific Chimera (aka. Flight Test Integrated-01) features a combination of land and sea missile defense systems, who go 4/5 against a combination of ballistic missile and cruise missile targets. The USA’s Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system acted as FIT-01′s command and control backbone.
The Medium Range Ballistic Missile E-LRALT (Extended Long Range Air Launch Target) was launched out of a C-17, tracked by a US Army AN/TPY-2 radar on Meck Island, and destroyed by its companion THAAD missile.
A pair of Short Range Ballistic Missile targets were launched from a platform in the ocean. One was destroyed by a US Army PATRIOT PAC-3 system, but the USS Fitzgerald’s [DDG 62] attempt to intercept the 2nd SRBM target with a long-range SM-3 Block 1A missile failed. They’re still trying to figure out why, because there were no obvious malfunctions.
The USS Fitzgerald had better luck with an SM-2 missile against a low flying cruise missile target, and the Army’s PATRIOT PAC-3 battery racked up a cruise missile kill of its own. Final tally: 80%. US MDA | Lockheed Martin | Raytheon.
Oct 5/12: Infrastructure. Raytheon in Andover, MA receives a $7.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to upgrade PATRIOT depot maintenance plant equipment.
Work will be performed in Tewksbury, MA, and White Sands, NM, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/16. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-12-C-0287).
FY 2012
Annual order; Big Taiwan order for PATRIOT/PAC-3 systems; Export request from Kuwait; Successful test using JLENS aerostat for cueing; BMD test for new PAC-3 CRI missile variant; New PAC-3 MSE missile kills “over the shoulder”; Testing milestones for new-build Config-3 ground systems; PATRIOT shipment to Korea gets much more exciting than intended; Pentagon testers highlight poor system reliability.
Patriot Radar
(click to view full)
July 25/12: Kuwait. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Kuwait’s official request to add to its PATRIOT assets. The request begins by asking for 60 more PAC-3 missiles, a request that has been made before (q.v. Dec 4/07 – 80 PAC-3 missiles). Kuwait has also added a stock of PAC-2 GEM-T missiles (vid. Dec 11/10 and Jan 24/11 entries).
Beyond the missiles themselves, this request requests ground equipment for 2 more fully modern (Config-3) batteries, plus additional equipment to extend existing infrastructure: 4 PATRIOT radars, 4 PATRIOT Engagement Control Stations, 20 PATRIOT Launching Stations, 2 Information Coordination Centrals, 10 Electric Power Plants, communication and power equipment. The Dec 4/07 request has already ordered Config-3 upgrades to 6 radars and associated equipment. Personnel training and training equipment, spare and repair parts, facility design and construction, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support round out the possible order. The estimated cost is up to $4.2 billion
The principal contractors will be Raytheon Corporation in Tewksbury, MA and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Dallas, TX. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of 3 contractor representatives to Kuwait on a temporary basis for program, technical support, and management oversight.
DSCA: Kuwait PAC-3/Config-3 request
Sept 13/12: Testing. A pair of PAC-3 missiles are successfully ripple-fired at a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) target at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The first interceptor destroyed the target and the second PAC-3 Missile self destructed as planned. Lockheed Martin.
July 16/12: CTR. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA received a $7.5 million firm-fixed-price export contract for new modern adjunct processor upgrade kits. The recipients were not discussed.
Work will be performed in Phoenix, AZ; El Segundo, CA; Anaheim, CA; Fremont, CA; Charlottesville, VA; and Andover, MA; and will run until Nov 30/13. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-10-C-0301).
July 13/12: Getting MSE ready. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $69 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to support of PAC-3 MSE Initial Production Facilities. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie and Camden, AR; Lufkin, TX; and Ocala, FL; with an estimated completion date of July 2/14. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-12-C-0001).
The contract is pretty explicit about getting the new PAC-3 MSE missile ready for production, which is set to begin in FY 2014 with orders for 56. The US Army plans to order a total 1m680 PAC-3 MSE missiles over the lifetime of that program, which will be worth $9.114 billion. By 2015, the Army expects the more capable PAC-3 MSE to cost less per missile (around $7.5 million) than the current PAC-3 (about $7.6 million), with costs continuing to drop for the MSE after that. Time will tell if beginning MSE’s design from the PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) blueprint will deliver on its promise, or not. See also Lockheed Martin release.
May 6/12: Support. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX wins a $34.7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract, to fund the PAC-3 Missile Support Center. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX until Dec 31/13. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received by the US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-12-C-0100).
April 30/12: JLENS/ PATRIOT test. The promised firing test takes place during an exercise at the Utah Training and Test Range. The JELNS high-altitude aerostat picked up the target on radar, and provided tracking data to the PATRIOT system. Raytheon says that:
“In addition to destroying the target drone, initial indications are that the JLENS-Patriot systems integration met test objectives.”
That will help make the case for JLENS as a very low operating cost option for cruise missile defense, but is it too late? The Pentagon has decided to remove the program’s production phase, leaving just the 2 testing “orbits”. Raytheon | Lockheed Martin.
April 13/12: Support. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $7.6 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract, to support the PAC-3 Missile Support Center. Work will be performed in Dallas, TX, with an estimated completion date of March 30/13. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received by the US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-12-C-0100).
April 9/12: Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $45.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for PAC launcher modification kits. Lockheed makes the PAC-3 missile, which demands a different launcher system than Raytheon’s larger PAC-2.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX; Camden, AR; Lufkin, TX; and Ocala, FL, with an estimated completion date of July 31/14. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received by U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-11-C-0001).
April 2/12: UAE. Raytheon IDS in Andover, MA receives a $67.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for UAE Patriot spares. Work will be performed in Andover, MA, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by U.S. Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-09-G-0002).
March 30/12: GAO Report. The US GAO tables its “Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs” for 2012. It places the current total PAC-3 sub-program cost at $11.581 billion in FY 2012 dollars. That number has risen just 14.1% over the past 5 years, though the change from the initial program estimate is a bit more radical: 122.2%.
March 30/12: SAR. The Pentagon’s Selected Acquisitions Report ending Dec 31/11. The overall program cost for the PAC-3 sub-program stands at $10.205 billion in base-year dollars.
March 29/12: New-production tests. Raytheon announces a series of testing milestones involving new-production PATRIOT Config. 3 systems, as opposed to upgraded systems. One is the successful firing of 2 PAC-3 missiles to engage a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) at White Sands Missile Range, NM. Surprisingly, this is the 1st firing of PAC-3s from a new-build system.
This test comes on the heels of a successful March 21/12 system-level guided flight test of the new-production Patriot system, and the successful test of the first ground-up production PAC-2 GEM-T missile in October 2011. Raytheon.
Feb 15/12: New BMD target. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Army Forces Strategic Command successfully complete a test flight of the new Economical Target-1 at Eglin AFB, FL. ET-1 is a threat representative tactical ballistic missile that could be used to test PATRIOT missiles going forward. It’s a combination of excess body and motor assemblies from the government, and a nose and tail assembly made at Holloman AFB, NM.
The ET-1 was launched using SMDC’s new 25K Transportable Target Launcher, a mission-configurable rail launcher with 25,000 pounds-capacity that complies with applicable treaties, and lets the Army simulate a number of incoming missile flight geometries. It can be carried inside C-17 and C-5 aerial transports for fast shipping, and expands the number of available launch sites for Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense testing. US Army.
Feb 13/12: The USA’s FY 2013 budget documents include $646.6 million to buy 84 PAC-3 missiles and 38 Enhanced Launcher Electronic Systems (ELES). It adds $12.85 million to finish preparations for PAC-3 MSE missile manufacturing; production orders will begin in FY 2014.
Feb 13/12: Support. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Andover, MA receives a $15.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, to support of the Patriot Missile Support Center.
Work will be performed in Chambersburg, PA; Andover, MA; Burlington, MA; and Germany; and the contract runs until Jan 31/14. One bid was solicited, with one bid received (W31P4Q-11-C-0156).
Jan 17/12: Testing report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2011 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). All PATRIOT missile variants are included, even the MEADS’ PAC-3 MSE, which gets a good review:
“The first MSE intercepted the [ballistic missile] target and the second intercepted debris from the first intercept… performance was consistent with preflight predictions and body-to-body impact was achieved… The system met the mission objectives.”
The report also notes a series of GEM-T tests, which have generally been successful, though firings of 2 missiles generally have just 1 successful intercept by the 1st missile. Proximity fuzes can be like that, if the 1st hit doesn’t leave much of a proximity target to trigger. Unfortunately, this next excerpt is much more disturbing, given PATRIOT’s status as the main modern air defense weapon for the USA and several of its key allies:
“Based on the PDB-6.5 LUT conducted during FY10, DOT&E assesses the current Patriot system as effective against some threats and partially suitable due to poor radar reliability and system availability. There has been substantial variance in Patriot’s reliability and resulting availability as observed during testing. The causes of this variance are unknown.”
The Army has updated the PATRIOT’s Test and Evaluation Master Plan, which DOT&E approved on Sept 1/11.
Jan 17/12: An $11.3 million firm-fixed-price contract “for the procurement of Patriot missiles and spares.” DID is given to understand that this Pentagon description of the items bought is in fact a mistake, but official clarification has yet to arrive.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. One bid was solicited, with one bid received (W31P4Q-12-D-0009).
Jan 5/12: CTR. Raytheon in Andover, MA receives a $51.3 million firm-fixed-price contract, to modernize Patriot PAC-2 missiles to the GEM-T configuration. Raytheon says that this is a follow on to AMCOM’s PATRIOT missile continuous technology refreshment program, initiated in 2000.
Work will be performed in Andover, MA, with an estimated completion date of Feb 28/15. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-12-C-0079).
Dec 30/11: US FY 2012 & Taiwan. Lockheed Martin in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $606 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for FY 2012 PATRIOT requirements – which includes missiles, launchers, and ground support for Taiwan. Within the PATRIOT system, Lockheed Martin produces the PAC-3 missile, the missile canister 4-packs, a fire solution computer, and the Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES).
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX; Camden, AR; Lufkin, TX; Chelmsford, MA and Ocala, FL, with an estimated completion date of July 30/15. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract for the USA, and as Taiwan’s FMS agent (W31P4Q-12-C-0002).
FY 2012 PAC-3
Dec 30/11: Taiwan. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Andover, MA receives a $34.3 million firm-fixed-price contract, providing initial funding for 3 Taiwanese Patriot fire units and training equipment. DID is investigating possible connections to the Dec 16/11 announcement.
Work will be performed in several locations within Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, Italy, Greece, and Canada, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2016. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract, incl. services as Taiwan’s agent (W31P4Q-12-C-0069.
Dec 23/11: Saudi request. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Saudi Arabia’s official request to buy continuing services for the PATRIOT Systems Engineering Services Program (ESP). Also included: modification kits, engineering changes, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $120 million, but no duration is specified.
Saudi Arabia has had a Shared Engineering Services Program (SESP) with the USA for the past 20 years; this just extends it. The prime contractor will be Raytheon Integrated Defense in Andover, MA, and implementation won’t require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia, beyond those already there.
DSCA: Saudi support request
Dec 23/11: Support. Raytheon in Andover, MA receives a $13.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PATRIOT training services. Work will be performed in Andover, MA, with an estimated completion date of Dec 15/13. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-12-C-0102).
Dec 21/11: Thor & bothered. Finnish Detective Superintendent Timo Virtanen says that they have detained 2 crew members of the M/S Thor Liberty, an Isle of Man-flagged vessel that left Emden, Germany en route to China but had 69 Patriot surface-to-air missiles and 160 tons of explosives on board. Virtanen said that “the missiles did not have the appropriate transit papers.”
Which sounds alarming, but a spokesman for Germany’s Defense Ministry said the missiles were an official shipment to South Korea that was fully declared, and had all necessar