Story perspectives

Army advances Lockheed PAC-3 Edge Future Interceptor program

By Drooid · Oct 10, 2026, 2:31 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Army moved Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Edge interceptor to the next development stage of the Future Interceptor program.
Lockheed Martin will begin testing PAC-3 Edge in 2027, with deployment slated for 2031.
Lockheed Martin invested $250 million in its Strigo Product Center to develop an advanced seeker for the interceptor.
The interceptor aims to counter air, missile and hypersonic threats at higher altitudes and longer ranges than current PAC-3 missiles.

History

Historical Context

Raytheon’s SAM-D program became the Patriot system, fielded in 1984 and first used in combat during the 1991 Gulf War against Iraqi Scuds. Upgrades—PAC-1 (1988), PAC-2 (1990) and PAC-3 (2015)—converted it to a hit-to-kill ABM platform. Now the U.S. Army contracts Lockheed Martin for the PAC-3 Edge to counter hypersonic missiles at higher altitudes.

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Story summary

The U.S. Army moved Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Edge interceptor to the next development stage of the Future Interceptor program.
Lockheed Martin will begin testing PAC-3 Edge in 2027, with deployment slated for 2031.
Lockheed Martin invested $250 million in its Strigo Product Center to develop an advanced seeker for the interceptor.
The interceptor aims to counter air, missile and hypersonic threats at higher altitudes and longer ranges than current PAC-3 missiles.

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