GM Defense Joins Lockheed Martin to Speed Patriot PAC-3 Missile Production

General Motors’ defense arm has begun supplying Lockheed Martin with components for Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles as the US defense industry moves to accelerate production of the air-defense weapons crucial to Ukraine. GM Defense delivered its first batch of mission-critical PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) components less than a month after signing a formal contract with Lockheed Martin, the defense giant announced Thursday.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The companies signed the agreement on Aug. 6, with GM Defense delivering the first PAC-3 MSE housing components on Aug. 28 – a turnaround of just 22 days. Such components can typically take months or even years to produce, according to Lockheed Martin. GM Defense used General Motors’ existing casting, machining and large-scale manufacturing capabilities to produce the parts to military specifications. “This extraordinary 22-day turnaround underscores Lockheed Martin’s relentless focus on execution – delivering for our troops faster, with greater capacity,” Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said. Stephen duMont, president and CEO of GM Defense, said the partnership combines GM’s precision manufacturing capabilities with Lockheed Martin’s defense production expertise. The cooperation comes as Lockheed Martin seeks to sharply increase production of PAC-3 MSE interceptors amid growing global demand. Other Topics of Interest EU to Allocate €3.3B to Ukraine for Drones, Missiles Zelensky and Von der Leyen agreed to meet during the UN General Assembly in New York after discussing Ukraine’s defense funding needs. The company said it is investing $8 billion to $9 billion to expand production of PAC-3 MSE, THAAD and Precision Strike Missiles across more than 20 US facilities, increasing its munitions production and warehousing footprint by nearly 50%. Critical interceptors for Ukraine PAC-3 MSE missiles have become particularly important for Ukraine because they are designed to intercept ballistic missiles, including weapons Russia regularly launches against Ukrainian cities. The expansion comes as Kyiv continues to press its allies for more Patriot missiles amid persistent shortages. Lockheed Martin has previously said it is expanding annual PAC-3 production significantly, though the company has warned that it cannot guarantee specific delivery timelines as demand from the US and allied countries continues to exceed available supply. Ukraine has also pursued talks on producing Patriot interceptors or components with Western partners. Kyiv and US defense companies have discussed joint production and technology transfers, although no firm production timetable has yet been announced. Lockheed Martin and GM Defense said they plan to expand their partnership to other munitions programs, applying high-volume commercial manufacturing methods to defense production. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.