US orders new Patriot PAC-2 missiles amid depleted air‑defense stockpiles

The US military placed its first contract in more than three decades to buy Patriot PAC-2 Guidance Enhanced Missile‑Tactical (GEM‑T) interceptors. Raytheon RTX will produce the missiles at its sole US facility in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, under a $441.6 million contract funded by a supplemental FY‑2026 budget. Delivery is required by 30 September, a five‑month schedule.

The purchase follows an intensive period of missile‑intercept activity linked to a US operation against Iran, during which the services reportedly expended an estimated 1,060‑1,430 Patriot interceptors between late February and early April 2026. Analysts say the move reflects growing pressure on the US air‑defense stockpile and limited production capacity for newer PAC‑3 missiles, prompting a cost‑effective, though less capable, reliance on the older PAC‑2 system.