US Army Makes Future Interceptor a Program of Record

The missile begins testing in 2027 and enters service in 2031. While current munitions costs are estimated at $4 million per interceptor, the US is allocating $58 billion to triple the production of existing Patriot missiles to maintain defense stockpiles before the PAC-3 Edge deploys. The initiative is now a lauchpad for diversifying production across multiple interceptor lines to increase total magazine depth.