The USA is preparing a new anti-ballistic missile for the Patriot, which is intended to make intercepting Iskander missiles five times cheaper.
Patriot / Illustrative photo / © Getty Images
The USA is accelerating the development of a new low-cost interceptor missile (LCI) for Patriot systems, which is intended to be an alternative to the scarce PAC-3 MSE. It is expected that the new missile will cost less than $1 million – over five times cheaper than the current PAC-3 MSE, which costs around $5 million per unit.
This is reported by Defense Express, citing a photo from DoW.
A New Budget Missile for Ballistic Warfare – What It Can Do
The new missile is designed to intercept not only aerodynamic targets – aircraft and drones – but also ballistic missiles with a range of up to 1000 km, including the “Iskander-M” type. The USA also requires the LCI to be capable of operating in adverse weather conditions and active electronic countermeasures.
PAC 3 MSE for Patriot / Photo: DoW
The Pentagon has already begun an urgent search for companies to create components for the new missile. By the end of May 2026, the US Army will accept applications from manufacturers with ready technological solutions or individual elements – seekers, engines, navigation, and control systems.
Simultaneously, companies can also offer already completed missiles if their technological readiness level meets the US Army’s requirements. The selection of the best solutions is planned for June.
Global Shortage of PAC-3 MSE and Initial Tests
One of the reasons for the haste cited is the global shortage of PAC-3 MSE. Currently, approximately 620 units are produced annually, which is insufficient even to meet the needs of Ukraine, the Middle East, and a potential conflict around Taiwan.
The first tests of LCI components are scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 – from July to September. This includes, in particular, testing the functionality of the engine and guidance systems.
If the project proceeds without delays, the first full prototype of the missile could be unveiled in 2027.
Will Ukraine Receive the New Missiles?
Importantly, the new LCI missiles are planned to be integrated into existing Patriot M903 launchers without additional modernization. This means that in the future, Ukrainian air defense forces could potentially use such missiles.
However, even with a swift launch of serial production, experts doubt that Ukraine will be able to receive the new missiles in the coming years due to high global demand.
As a reminder, **Ukraine will receive new long-range missiles. The Destinus and Rheinmetall concerns are accelerating the development of the new RUTA Block 3 missile.**
Meanwhile, **in Ukraine, an element of a private air defense system has been deployed, utilizing remotely controlled machine guns to combat UAVs.**
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