Lockheed Martin, a major defense supplier, is likely to supply Ukraine with 500 Patriot air defense interceptor missiles after the US State Department approved the potential sale Friday, October 30.According to the press statement, the approval came following a request from the government of Ukraine to purchase Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles to improve its integrated air and missile defense capabilities.Patriot’s PAC-3 MSE variant, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is one of the most advanced, high-velocity surface-to-air missile interceptors capable of shooting down incoming ballistic missiles. Ukraine, allies backs purchaseThe estimated cost of purchase for these 500 missiles is estimated at $2.1 billion. Ukrainian national funds financed by the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan and donations from allies including Canada, Germany and Norway through the US JUMPSTART program will be used to make the purchase, the State Department said. No U.S. funds will be used to make the purchase, the statement added.Under the agreement, the company will supply PAC-3 MSE classified and unclassified spare parts and other related logistics and program support elements. However, the U.S. government did not comment on when the Ukrainian military will receive these crucial defensive weapons.Lockheed Martin, the principal contractor for the newly approved missile sale, is already in talks with allied nations to establish PAC-3 production outside the US, as the demand for the interceptor surges globally.By 2030, the company plans to expand its annual production capacity, up from 600 missiles to 2000, while investing in 20 facilities on the American soil.PAC3 Edge to combat hypersonic weaponsIn addition to greenlighting the sale of 500 Patriot air missiles to Ukraine, the U.S. Army also awarded a nearly $1.1 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to develop PAC-3 Edge, an advanced interceptor technology. The new combat technology is expected to expand air- and missile-defense coverage against advanced threats, including hypersonic weapons. These missiles, with greater engagement range and altitude, are designed to replace PAC-3 MSE and THAAD.Built on combat-proven PAC-3 MSE, PAC-3 Edge will have a new seeker, improved propulsion, and upgraded controls. These engineering changes are intended to improve precision, maneuverability, and performance at greater ranges and altitudes, a company official said.The seeker of the advanced missile system is tasked with tracking targets during the engagement, while the propulsion determines the energy available along the flight path, and control systems enable the missile to adjust its trajectory. The combined effectiveness of these systems will determine if PAC-3 Edge can meet its proposed engagement envelope against maneuvering targets, noted the company officials.However, no official announcements provided a number for PAC-3 Edge’s interception ranges, altitude limits, seeker operating characteristics, or demonstrated performance against representative hypersonic targets.The latest development award marks progress toward expanding the defensive capability. However, whether PAC-3 Edge delivers the proposed improvement against advanced missile and hypersonic threats will depend on the results of its development, testing, and integration program.