US-Japan Patriot missile production expansion delayed due to Boeing component shortage.
US plan to boost Patriot air defense missile production using Japanese factories faces delay due to a shortage of a critical Boeing component. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries currently makes 30 PAC-3 missiles annually under a license from Lockheed Martin and can increase production to 60 missiles per year. The US aims to produce more than 750 missiles globally each year, but this expansion in Japan won't be possible without additional supplies of the missiles' seekers, which guide them in final stages of flight. It may take several years for MHI to increase output due to the shortage.
July 20, 2024
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