Lockheed Martin boasts of faster interceptor missile production turnaround as stockpiles run low

Lockheed Martin received the first batch of Patriot missile parts produced through a new partnership with General Motors in just 22 days, some of the first concrete results of President Donald Trump’s push to expedite interceptor missile production.The production of the Patriot’s PAC-3 interceptor missiles is infamously complex — the Department of War’s April $4.7 billion contract to boost output from 600 missiles per year to 2,000 by 2030 involved production at 15 locations across 11 states, with the involvement of 13,000 suppliers. Six main companies are responsible for production, with GM being added to the list last month.GM’s delivery of “mission-critical components” for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor missile after just 22 days was noted as “extraordinary” by Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This extraordinary 22‑day turnaround underscores Lockheed Martin’s relentless focus on execution – delivering for our troops faster, with greater capacity,” he said in a statement. “Our partnership with GM Defense is a concrete example of how we’re merging world-class commercial manufacturing with defense supply chain and production practices and rapidly translating that into battlefield readiness for the United States.”Typically, the production of the parts traditionally takes “months to years” to produce, according to Lockheed Martin. Different companies are responsible for different critical components — Aerojet Rocketdyne produces the rocket motors, and Boeing produces the advanced seeker. Lockheed Martin is responsible for the final assembly of the missile itself.GM Defense President and CEO Stephen duMont said the company was “proud to support production of this country’s critical defense capabilities.”“Our partnership with Lockheed Martin leverages GM’s precision-fabrication expertise and ability to manufacture with quality at scale,” he said. “We look forward to putting these strengths to work in support of our nation’s security and the people who protect it.”AMERICA’S $1.36 TRILLION PHANTOM ARSENALDespite the boost in production, the increased output is estimated to take several more years, a fact much to the chagrin of both Washington and Kyiv, which have increasingly lobbied for emergency packages of Patriot interceptors ahead of the winter months, so far to no avail.The war with Iran has all but drained the U.S.’s Patriot interceptor stockpiles, which last month were estimated to sit at one-third of its pre-war total. Further attacks from Iran have further drained this to now critical levels; all the while, peace with Iran remains elusive.