Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and Honeywell will expand output of missiles and key defense components under new, long-term agreements.
The Pentagon has signed a series of agreements with major defense contractors aimed at speeding production of key weapon systems that have seen heavy use in the opening stages of the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran.
Lockheed Martin said on March 25 it had signed a new seven-year agreement with the U.S. Department of War to quadruple production capacity for the Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM. The missile uses GPS navigation and can strike targets at ranges of about 250 miles.
The weapon recently saw its first officially confirmed combat use against Iranian targets. A video released earlier this month by U.S. Central Command showed the next-generation munition being launched in open desert terrain from Lockheed Martin’s HIMARS truck-mounted launcher.
Before the missile’s combat debut, the U.S. Army had already been working with Lockheed Martin to expand production, the company said.
In a separate announcement the same day, BAE Systems said it secured an agreement with the War Department to quadruple production capacity and accelerate delivery of the infrared seeker used in Lockheed Martin’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptor missiles.
A seeker is the sensor package that serves as the interceptor’s “eyes,” detecting, tracking, and guiding the missile toward incoming hostile projectiles. According to BAE, its THAAD seeker uses advanced sensors to identify and lock onto threats traveling at speeds of up to 17,000 miles per hour.
THAAD saw its first known operational use in 2022, when a THAAD battery in the United Arab Emirates intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The system has also been used in the current war with Iran, where Tehran’s heavy employment of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, along with drones, has made missile-defense interceptors such as THAAD critical.
Like the Lockheed agreement, the BAE contract runs for seven years. Lockheed also announced a separate seven-year deal in January to increase annual production of its PAC-3 interceptors from 600 to 2,000 over that period.
In a third agreement announced Wednesday, Honeywell Aerospace said it would invest $500 million over several years to boost production of critical components for the U.S. munitions stockpile.
By Bill Pan
