US installs Patriot missiles on warships due to concerns over China's hypersonic weapons

The US Navy is reportedly planning to equip Patriot PAC-3 MSE air defense missiles on a number of warships in the Pacific to counter the threat from Chinese hypersonic weapons.

Patriot PAC-3 missile model at the exhibition in Kielce (Poland) September 2017

The integration of the Patriot PAC-3 MSE missile, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and used primarily by the Army, into the ship defense system comes amid heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific region following China's rapid military modernization, Reuters reported on October 25, citing two unnamed US military officials.

According to another source, the US Navy's desire to install Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles on warships is a move to respond to developments in Chinese missile technology, including the field of hypersonic weapons production.

Missile defense expert Tom Karako of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, headquartered in Washington DC, USA) said it is still unknown how many Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles the US Navy needs, but the overall demand will exceed current capacity.

With the growing demand for weapons from abroad, the US military plans to more than double Patriot missile production from current levels in the coming years.

The US has chosen Japan as the location for a Patriot missile factory, and Lockheed Martin wants to set up a new line in Florida to manufacture the guidance system for this missile.

The Patriot PAC-3 has been used to shoot down hypersonic missiles in Ukraine. However, the US Navy said that further testing is needed to effectively integrate the Patriot PAC-3 MSE into the ship's defense system, as well as connect it to the SPY-1 radar (the main sensor of the Aegis missile system).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-lap-ten-lua-patriot-cho-tau-chien-vi-lo-vu-khi-boi-sieu-thanh-trung-quoc-185241025201142448.htm