Documents
United States Raytheon (RTX)
Patriot PAC-3
The U.S. Army's primary long-range surface-to-air and ballistic-missile defense system, upgraded in the PAC-3 configuration with hit-to-kill interceptors for higher-precision endo-atmospheric intercepts. It is one of the most widely exported air-defense systems in the world, operated by over a dozen nations.
In service since 2001 · 19 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
60
km range
24,000
m altitude
8
targets
170
km radar
💲 ≈ $1,100,000,000, Approximate cost per full battery including launchers and radar
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 19 operators
In service since 2001. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$2.8B – $3.9B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The MIM-104 Patriot with PAC-3 missiles is the United States' primary long-range, mobile air-and-missile-defence system, and the PAC-3 upgrade marks its shift from blast-fragmentation toward hit-to-kill interception. The PAC-3 MSE missile physically collides with its target, a demanding approach designed to defeat tactical ballistic missiles as well as aircraft and cruise missiles. A battery pairs the missiles with a phased-array radar and networked command posts, forming a layered shield.
Raytheon's Patriot is operated by roughly twenty nations, from Germany and Japan to Saudi Arabia and Israel, and demand has outstripped production, straining stockpiles of interceptors.
Since 2023, Patriot batteries in Ukraine have become one of the most closely watched systems of the war, credited with intercepting Russian ballistic and cruise missiles, including claimed engagements of the Kinzhal aeroballistic missile, figures that remain partly disputed. The war has exposed how quickly interceptor inventories deplete under sustained bombardment, making resupply and manufacturing capacity a strategic concern for the US and its allies well into the 2026 period of heightened regional conflict.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 5 Mach |
|---|---|
| Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace. | 60 km |
| Engagement altitude Maximum target altitude the system can reach. | 24,000 m |
| Simultaneous targets Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks. | 8 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | PAC-3 MSE hit-to-kill interceptor missile |
|---|---|
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 74 kg |
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | Blast-fragmentation / hit-to-kill kinetic |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Active radar homing, Inertial + datalink midcourse update |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | AN/MPQ-65 phased-array radar |
|---|---|
| Radar range Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first. | 170 km |
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | Link 16, IBCS |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $1,100,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 19 |
Specifications compiled from public Raytheon (RTX) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 
KBP Instrument Design Bureau Pantsir-S1 Head-to-head comparisons
Patriot PAC-3 vs
SAMP/T (Aster 30) 
HQ-9 
NASAMS 
SPYDER Frequently asked questions
What is the engagement range of the Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3? +
The Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3 has a maximum engagement range of 60 km.
What is the main armament of the Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3? +
The Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3's primary weapon is the PAC-3 MSE hit-to-kill interceptor missile.
What is the Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3 used for? +
The Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3 is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3? +
The Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3 is operated by 19 countries.
How much does the Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3 cost? +
The Raytheon (RTX) Patriot PAC-3 has an approximate unit cost of 1,100,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Raytheon (RTX)
Patriot GEM-T
Lockheed Martin
THAAD
Raytheon (RTX)
Patriot PAC-2
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
HQ-9
Related coverage
Patriot PAC-3 in the news
News digest · Aug 15, 2026
The Interceptor Math Breaks: Inside a Week of Defense Shortfalls
Zelensky says Ukraine receives 1% of the Patriot interceptors it needs, and every fix on the table this week, from lasers to new motors, is years away.
Article guide · Aug 14, 2026
Only 4 of 57 Air Defenses Claim to Reach Space
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News conflict · Aug 14, 2026
Zelensky: Ukraine Has 1% of Patriot Stock It Needs
Zelensky told CNN Ukraine gets 2.5 times fewer Patriot interceptors than in 2025, while Russia now fires twice as many ballistic missiles a month.
Article industry · Aug 12, 2026
Patriot Stocks Fell 65%, Rebuild Takes 42 Months
CSIS estimates Patriot interceptor stocks fell 65% during the Iran war. The Army's new $58.6B contract still takes 42 months to deliver one.
News technology · Aug 10, 2026
Army Tests Driverless Launcher That Swaps Missiles Mid-Mission
DeepFires let soldiers fire a 1,600km Tomahawk, then reload the truck for Patriot air defense, no crew aboard, in Army tests through late July.
News procurement · Aug 9, 2026
Pentagon Gives Arms Makers 21 Days to Speed Up Production
Deputy Defense Secretary Feinberg told industry to submit faster delivery plans within 21 days after the Iran war cut Patriot stocks by two-thirds.
News digest · Aug 8, 2026
No Missiles for the Patriots: Inside Ukraine's Interceptor Math
A second barrage exposed how thin Ukraine's air defense has become, while contractors raced to fill gaps in orbit, supply chains, and cost.
Article industry · Aug 7, 2026
Navy Modular Missile: One Interceptor Body, Four Roles
NMM aims to replace SM-2, SM-6, and SM-3 Block IIA, whose ranges span 170-2,500 km, with one common 10-inch interceptor body and four swappable boosters.
News procurement · Aug 7, 2026
Army Wants a Sub-$150K Missile to Kill $35K Drones at Scale
The Army's new Next Generation Counter-sUAS Missile targets a $150,000 unit cost and a 5,000-round buy, aimed at closing the cost gap that lets cheap drones overwhelm million-dollar interceptors.
Article guide · Aug 4, 2026
What 'Simultaneous Targets' Means on a SAM Spec Sheet
NASAMS claims 72 simultaneous targets, twice the S-400's 36, despite a 16th of its range. Across 41 systems, the number tracks radar architecture, not range.
News procurement · Aug 4, 2026
Army Locks In $58.6B Lockheed Deal to Triple Patriot Output
The Army converted an emergency Patriot order into a seven-year, $58.6B deal with Lockheed Martin, the largest PAC-3 contract ever, tripling interceptor output by 2030.
News procurement · Aug 4, 2026
Pentagon Bypasses Primes, Inks Direct Deals to Quadruple THAAD Output
New framework agreements with Northrop Grumman and L3Harris target rocket motors and structural parts directly, a break from prime-contractor-only procurement.
News conflict · Aug 2, 2026
Kyiv Hit Again as Ukraine Runs Out of Patriot Interceptors
Russia fired 35 missiles and 185 drones at Kyiv overnight, only one of 27 ballistic missiles was intercepted, and Ukraine says it is out of Patriot rounds.
News conflict · Aug 1, 2026
Kyiv Hit as Zelensky Says Patriot Interceptors Ran Out
Russia fired 35 missiles and 185 drones at Kyiv, and Ukraine intercepted only one of 27 ballistic missiles, a day after Trump walked back a promised Patriot production license.
News digest · Aug 1, 2026
July 2026 in review: Gulf war deaths, a $135B Patriot day
July saw the Iran war's first new US combat deaths, a record $58.6B Patriot deal, and Europe's scramble after Ukraine's interceptors ran dry.
News digest · Aug 1, 2026
Iran's War Resets Again, Russia Probes NATO's Seams
A Jordan strike, a two-hour US response, a Kh-101 that landed in Poland, and three new counter-drone systems defined this week in defense.
News procurement · Jul 30, 2026
Pentagon Locks In $58.6B Patriot Deal as Stockpiles Thin
The Army converted a one-year Patriot contract into a 7-year, $58.6B plan Wednesday, the largest Patriot deal ever, as Iran and Ukraine drain stockpiles.
News conflict · Jul 27, 2026
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel All Down Drones in One Morning
Saudi Arabia intercepted drones from Iraq, and Jordan and Israel separately downed UAVs near their border, in one morning of regional drone spillover.
comparison · Jul 26, 2026
What 'Range' Means on an Air-Defense Spec Sheet
Across 68 air-defense systems in our database, published range spans 3 km to 3,000 km, a 1,000x gap that is three missions, not one spec race.
News technology · Jul 26, 2026
India Test-Fires Kusha, Its Homegrown Rival to the S-400
DRDO's maiden flight test of the Kusha interceptor hit a simulated target July 23, India's bid to end reliance on imported systems like the S-400.
News procurement · Jul 26, 2026
US Gulf Arms Sales Hit $41B in Six Months, Topping All of 2025
State Department-approved arms deals to Gulf states reached $41B in H1 2026, up from $9B for all of 2025, driven by Patriot missile orders.
News conflict · Jul 25, 2026
Greek Patriot Battery Intercepts Houthi Missiles at Saudi Refinery
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News procurement · Jul 24, 2026
Ukraine and Raytheon agree to co-produce Patriot interceptors
Zelensky announced an in-principle deal to jointly manufacture Patriot interceptors with Raytheon, a step toward closing Ukraine's chronic missile-supply gap.
News procurement · Jul 21, 2026
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News procurement · Jul 19, 2026
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News conflict · Jul 18, 2026
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News digest · Jul 18, 2026
Gulf War Escalates as Europe's Patriot Shortage Goes Public
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News conflict · Jul 17, 2026
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Article guide · Jul 16, 2026
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News procurement · Jul 15, 2026
Poland's $988M Patriot GEM-T Buy Fills Out Its Wisla Layer
NATO's procurement agency signed Raytheon to a $988 million contract supplying Poland with several hundred Patriot GEM-T interceptors through 2031, a cheaper area-defense missile that complements, rather than replaces, Poland's hit-to-kill PAC-3 MSE stock.
News policy · Jul 15, 2026
US Opens Patriot Missile Production Licensing to Ukraine
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News conflict · Jul 14, 2026
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News conflict · Jul 10, 2026
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News digest · Jun 1, 2026
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