
Lockheed Martin and Diehl Defence are deepening cooperation to secure the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor’s supply chain, bolstering resilience across the transatlantic defense industrial base. Under a new memorandum of understanding, the two firms will coordinate production, co-invest in R&D, and expand component manufacturing in Europe to support growing demand for advanced air and missile defense systems. The collaboration arrives as global conflicts drive record procurement of Patriot systems and interceptors. The arrangement seeks to diversify manufacturing, reduce reliance on single-source suppliers, and enhance surge capacity to meet NATO’s operational requirements. Diehl Defence executive Torsten Cook highlighted the initiative as a commitment to shared security goals and European industrial participation in strategic defense programs. Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 MSE interceptor — equipped with a dual-pulse motor and advanced hit-to-kill seeker — represents the cutting edge of the Patriot air defense network, capable of defeating maneuvering ballistic and hypersonic threats. The system currently serves 17 countries, forming a cornerstone of the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS), which fuses radar, sensor, and interceptor data into a unified command network. Lockheed Martin is fulfilling a $9.8-billion contract for PAC-3 MSE interceptors, with European partners like Diehl, Sener, Oesía-Tecnobit, and WZE contributing components ranging from control systems to electronics. This expanded industrial cooperation complements broader efforts such as the trilateral MEADS program among the US, Germany, and Italy — illustrating the global push to modernize layered air defenses and ensure sustainable production for high-demand interceptor systems.