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By Mike Stone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing said on Tuesday it had ramped up production of a critical component for Patriot air defense interceptor missiles - the seeker that identifies and tracks efforts to knock them down - to meet growing demand from the U.S. and allies.
Eighteen countries, including Ukraine, use PAC-3 interceptors, which have proven effective against advanced threats such as Russia's Kinzhal missiles. The U.S. Army and international partners are driving demand for the system, while the U.S. Navy is adding them to ships to protect its fleet.
Boeing said it delivered over 500 PAC-3 seekers in 2024, a record high, and set new monthly and 12-month rolling average production records early this year. Last year, the Pentagon said it wanted to increase Patriot production to 650 a year.
The seeker enables the Patriot system to identify, track, and defeat threats such as hostile aircraft and ballistic and cruise missiles.
Boeing is set to complete a 35,000-square-foot (3,250-square-metre) expansion of its production facility in Huntsville, Alabama, this spring.
The company has invested in modernizing its facilities and improving manufacturing processes to increase efficiency and quality.
The PAC-3 seeker's "hit-to-kill" concept and agility make it an effective air defense against high-speed, maneuvering ballistic missiles.
As tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. military is seeking to enhance its defenses against advanced Chinese weapons, including hypersonic glide vehicle warheads. The PAC-3 system has already demonstrated its effectiveness against such threats, and its increased production is expected to support the U.S. military's efforts to deter or defeat potential adversaries.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Rod Nickel)
