Overview
- Lockheed announced the PAC‑3 ACE at the Farnborough Airshow on Monday, July 20, 2026 as a cheaper Patriot interceptor option.
- The company says ACE will cost less than half a PAC‑3 MSE, which budget documents put at about $4 million per round, but it has not released a precise unit price.
- ACE is built on the proven PAC‑3 fire‑control software and will link to Patriot batteries and the Integrated Battle Command System to shorten development and testing; Lockheed projects a first flight in about 18 months and initial production within roughly 36 months.
- Lockheed plans U.S.‑European co-development and manufacturing to broaden transatlantic production and help replenish depleted interceptor stocks strained by high use in Ukraine and recent Middle East exchanges.
- Key unknowns remain about the engineering trade‑offs that achieve the lower cost and how quickly factories can scale output, which will determine whether ACE meaningfully increases magazine depth for front‑line forces.