Published Aug 3, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT
The agreements come as part of the Arsenal of Freedom initiative and involve defense companies Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has announced two framework agreements to expand the production capacity of missile-interceptor components. The agreements, with defense companies Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, intend to triple the production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) components, and quadruple the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) components. The frameworks come as part of the Arsenal of Freedom initiative, a defense initiative to modernize military technology. "Building the Arsenal of Freedom requires robust, dynamic supply chains at every level of the industrial base," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, in a statement. "Framework agreements with munition components suppliers like Northrop Grumman are vital to accelerating the tripling of PAC-3 and quadrupling of THAAD interceptor production."
A Sabre short-range ballistic missile launches in June 2017 at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, for a test of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement, an advanced missile defense system. Hypersonic missiles might be able to penetrate PAC-3 and similar systems. (U.S. Army photo by U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command)
