Lockheed Martin has received the first shipment of PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) launch tubes manufactured by Polish firm WZL-1.
Launch tubes serve as the main structural housing for PAC-3 MSE missiles, forming the connection between the missile and the launcher system.
The delivery is part of Lockheed Martin’s partnerships program with key Polish government defense companies to develop and manufacture components of the PAC-3 missile.
The launch tubes will be used in PAC-3 MSE deliveries worldwide.
The System
Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 systems have been chosen by 17 partner nations and have completed over 90 successful flight tests.
According to the company, more than 1,700 PAC-3 MSEs have been produced to date.
The PAC-3 MSE is equipped with Lockheed Martin’s hit-to-kill technology and a two-pulse solid rocket motor for precise target engagement.
WISŁA Program Partnerships
Poland, currently the top defense spender among NATO members, is ramping up its air defense capabilities and manufacturing through the WISŁA program, advancing with key partnerships and strategic acquisitions.
Earlier this year, Warsaw signed a $2-billion contract for a US-made Patriot air defense system.
In 2023, the European country signed agreements with US companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin worth around 1 billion Polish zloty ($230 million).
The agreements aim to establish manufacturing facilities and support services in Poland for LTAMDS radar and PAC-3 MSE missile production.
These deals build on the first phase of the WISŁA program, which began in March 2018 with a contract for two Patriot missile defense batteries worth $4.75 billion.
