TSAMTO, February 9. According to the Taiwan News newspaper, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense plans to purchase an additional batch of PAC-3 MSE (Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement) missiles manufactured by Lockheed Martin in 2025-2026 to enhance the capabilities of the air defense system/ABOUT countries.
As previously reported, in July 2020, the US State Department approved Taiwan's request to restore the PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) missiles in service under the Foreign Military Sales program. As stated, the total cost of the work may amount to $ 620 million.
According to Taiwanese media, in August and October 2021, Taiwan signed two contracts with the United States with a total value of 2.44 billion. tyv. dollars for carrying out work in order to increase the destructive power of existing PAC-3 missiles.
Compared to the PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) variant, which is currently in service with the Taiwan Air Force, the PAC-3 MSE is equipped with a two-pulse solid-fuel rocket engine, which provides improved performance both in height and range. It uses the same proven technology of hitting a target with a direct hit (hit-to-kill) as in the PAC-3 CRI missile. A two-pulse solid-fuel engine and an improved airframe provide the rocket with greater maneuverability when intercepting faster tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
Taiwan received the first Patriot PAC-2 air defense systems in 1997. Taiwan's MNO spent another 179.14 billion. tyv. $6.28 billion in the period from 2007 to 2021 for the modernization of the PAC-2 to the PAC-3 version and for the purchase of new PAC-3 systems.
The upgraded PAC-2 air defense systems and the newly acquired PAC-3 were delivered to Taiwan by the end of 2017. According to Military Balance 2021, the Armed Forces of Taiwan have one division and one brigade equipped with the PAC-3 Patriot air defense system.
The M903 launcher of the PAC-3 Patriot air defense system can accommodate 12 PAC-3 MSE missiles or a combination of six PAC-3 MSE and eight PAC-3 missiles (two TPCs of four missiles each).