The framework uses U.S. multi-year procurement authorities to support a sustained increase in missile production. The Department of War said the approach is intended to give suppliers clearer long-term demand and support additional manufacturing capacity.
L3Harris will increase production of the PAC-3 MSE’s advanced two-pulse solid rocket motor, Attitude Control Motors and Lethality Enhancer. The propulsion systems provide the speed, range and maneuverability needed to engage advanced tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and enemy aircraft.
The Lethality Enhancer is an explosive device designed to increase the ground-based PAC-3 interceptor’s kill radius. L3Harris said the component supports engagements against threats including cruise missiles.
“Rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom requires moving with speed and precision to scale the production of critical munitions,” said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. “Today’s agreements with L3Harris are a decisive win for the Warfighter, underscoring our commitment to sending clear demand signals to the entire supply chain.”
The agreement follows other PAC-3 MSE framework arrangements across the program’s industrial base. Those include agreements involving prime contractor Lockheed Martin, seeker manufacturer Boeing and multi-component supplier Honeywell.
The Department of War said the new framework is a direct result of its Acquisition Transformation Strategy. The policy is designed to reduce procurement delays and allow the department to work directly with suppliers across the defense industrial base.
The strategy is also intended to give manufacturers stable long-term demand before they commit to new production capacity. The department said the policy is part of a wider effort to place U.S. defense acquisition on a wartime footing.
“This critical, long-term agreement will allow us to continue to move at unprecedented speed and produce PAC-3 propulsion at rates never before seen,” said Ken Bedingfield, President, Missile Solutions, L3Harris. “We are actively preparing our facilities and our suppliers to meet the required ramp as well as introducing additional capacity to support future needs of the DoW and our allies and strengthen the Arsenal of Freedom.”
L3Harris manufactures PAC-3 MSE motors at its facility in Camden, Arkansas. The site includes dedicated processing bays and automated digital X-ray equipment that the company said has reduced inspection and production cycle times.
The PAC-3 MSE production ramp is part of a broader expansion of L3Harris’ solid rocket motor business. The company said it is investing billions of dollars to increase capacity for critical munitions.
L3Harris is constructing about 60 facilities and adding or upgrading nearly 1 million square feet of manufacturing and office space. The expansion spans solid rocket motor production sites in Alabama, Virginia and Arkansas.
The seven-year framework gives L3Harris and its suppliers a longer planning horizon for PAC-3 MSE production. It also links the planned near-tripling of propulsion output to the wider U.S. effort to expand missile manufacturing capacity.
