Lockheed Martin Gets Patriot Parts in 22 Days as GM Joins Missile Production Push
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 17
Lockheed Martin Gets Patriot Parts in 22 Days as GM Joins Missile Production Push
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 17
Summary
Lockheed Martin said it received the first GM Defense shipment of PAC-3 MSE housing components on Aug. 28, just 22 days after the companies signed their manufacturing agreement.
The unusually fast delivery shortens a process that typically takes months or years, supporting the Pentagon's drive to accelerate weapons output.
Demand for Patriot interceptors has surged as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and Russia's war in Ukraine increase pressure for more air-defense missiles.
Lockheed is backing that expansion with $8 billion to $9 billion in munitions investment across more than 20 U.S. sites, aiming to lift production and warehousing space by nearly 50%.
As billions pour into rapid missile production, could this hasty commercial partnership accidentally compromise the reliability of critical defense systems?
Will the introduction of the cheaper PAC-3 ACE interceptor finally solve the military's dangerous vulnerability to massive drone swarms?
Can commercial auto manufacturing techniques truly maintain aerospace-grade quality while churning out missile parts at wartime speed?