Patriot Advanced Capability-Three (PAC-3) The First Deployable Hit-to- Kill Technology

摘要

The U.S. Army is upgrading its PATRIOT Air Defense Missile System with hit-to-kill technology. The improvements of the launching station, enagement control station and the addition of a hit-to-kill guided missile interceptor are managed under the PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Program, now three years into it's development contract. PAC-3 uses an extremely accurate on-board seeker and guidance system and an agile attitude control system to achieve a direct hit by the interceptor on the target. The hit-to-kill concept utilizes kinetic energy as its primary kill mechanism to disintegrate incoming tactical ballistic missiles and their warheads. PAC-3 is being executed within the most advanced defense acquisition reform policies. It uses the Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) concept with government/contractor Integrated Product Teams (IPT). Streamlining of the establishment of the product baseline has been achieved by mutual agreement on design review scheduling and content. Extensive use of state-of-the-art modeling and simulation as well as exhaustive component testing are in combination the mechanism which is building confidence that the hit-to-kill technology is ready for production and deployment. This will provide substantial advancement in Army Theater Missile Defense (TMD) Active Defense force dominance.