Airmen of the Japanese Self Defense Force and Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the second Japanese PAC-3 Missile flight test recently at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The PAC-3 Missiles fired in this test were assembled in Taketoyo, Japan, under a licensed production agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Lockheed Martin. The missiles successfully intercepted and destroyed a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) target.

The flight test demonstrated the Patriot Configuration-3 upgrades to Japanese Patriot ground system, and the addition of the PAC-3 Missile Segment to detect, track, engage and destroy a TBM target in a realistic battlefield environment.

"This test success is a milestone in international cooperation between the Governments and industries of Japan and the United States," said Mike Trotsky, vice president - Air & Missile Defense Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The PAC-3 system provides robust hit-to-kill defense against ballistic missiles and is a key element in the Japanese defense architecture."

The PAC-3 Missile is the world's most advanced, capable and powerful theater air defense missile. It defeats the entire Patriot Air Defense System threat spectrum: tactical ballistic missiles, evolving cruise missiles and fixed and rotary winged aircraft. PAC-3 Missiles significantly increase the Patriot system's firepower, since 16 PAC-3s load out on a Patriot launcher, compared with four legacy Patriot PAC-2 missiles.

Lockheed Martin achieved the first-ever hit-to-kill intercept of a ballistic missile target in 1984 with the Homing Overlay Experiment, using force of impact alone to destroy a mock warhead outside of the Earth's atmosphere. Further development and testing produced today's PAC-3 Missile, which won a competition in 1993 to become the first hit-to-kill interceptor produced by the U.S. government. The PAC-3 Missile has been the technology pathfinder for today's total conversion to kinetic energy interceptors for all modern missile defense systems.

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile. It also has considerable experience in missile design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal processing. The company makes significant contributions to all major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin