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DALLAS, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) delivered the 1,000th Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile to the U.S. Army last week during a ceremony at its state-of-the-art PAC-3 Missile production facility in Camden, AR. PAC-3 Missiles are combat-proven and deployed globally.
In addition to the United States, five U.S. allies have included the PAC-3 Missile in their air and missile defense arsenals. Last year, Taiwan became the fifth international customer for the PAC-3 Missile, joining The Netherlands, Germany, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
"The PAC-3 system provides hit-to-kill accuracy, and for me in the field to have four times the capability and 16 missiles on a launcher means I have the ability to call this system up against very formidable threats," said Brig. Gen. Roger Mathews, commandant – Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK.
"We proudly celebrate this accomplishment, along with our customers and the 225 suppliers across 25 states that remain focused on delivering the PAC-3 Missile on time and on budget," said Richard McDaniel, director of PAC-3 Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This production milestone reaffirms our commitment to providing the world's most advanced terminal air defense missile that serves our Warfighters and our allies around the world in their defining moments."
Lockheed Martin achieved the first-ever hit-to-kill intercept in 1984 with the Homing Overlay Experiment, using force of impact alone to destroy a mock warhead outside of the Earth's atmosphere. Further 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 'hit-to-kill' PAC-3 Missile is the world's most advanced, capable and powerful terminal air defense missile. It defeats the entire threat: tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) carrying weapons of mass destruction, advanced cruise missiles and aircraft.
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 defense system. 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 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin