In the Presidential Budget Request published on the 3rd of April, the U.S. Navy has requested a buy of 405 Patriot PAC-3 MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement) interceptors to be utilized on U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyers (DDGs).
In lieu of the total $1.5 trillion dollars attributed to the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense budget, munitions procurement for the U.S. Military, and subsequently the U.S. Navy has expanded drastically. This has resulted in a roughly ~$1.6 billion dollar increase in total funds tasked towards Navy procurement of PAC-3s and integration with the MK-41 Vertical Launch System utilized on U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, with a leap of 393 missiles procured from FY 2026 (only 12).
Naval News has previously covered Patriot PAC-3 MSE integration efforts onboard U.S. Navy vessels over the span of 3 years, first covered in early 2023, with a test fire in May of 2024. Up until now, the program has been targeted towards both physical integration work, but also ensuring PAC-3s can meld into the ship-borne sensor suites and the Aegis combat management system, with the PAC-3s meant to supplement terminal phase ballistic missile interceptors.
Lockheed Martin has alluded to integration work with MK 41 being complete for sometime, as at AUSA 2025, a Lockheed official had stated that integration of PAC-3 Missiles onto DDGs had been largely finalized and that the last step was the awarding of a final procurement contract. Consequently, the final award is likely to be provided upon the passage of a budget, as the current iteration of the Presidential Budget Request may not pass congress, resulting in the appropriations listed for Fiscal Year 2027 looking different then the current request.
Purchasing Patriots
