On Friday, May 1, 2026, Aviation Logistics of the U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, published information on the signing of an April 30 contract worth 441.6 million USD for the production and delivery of PAC-2 GEM-T interceptor missiles intended for MIM-104 Patriot air and missile defense systems.
Photo: RTX
According to the contract notice, Raytheon, part of RTX Corporation and based in Andover, Massachusetts, received a modification to a base agreement for the production of another batch of missiles in support of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, worth 441.6 million USD. The work will be performed in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2026. At the time of award, special fiscal year 2026 funds covering the full value of the contract were obligated.
Analysis
Although neither the U.S. Department of Defense nor U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for Operation Epic Fury, has published data on the use of key missile and aviation munitions in operations against Iran, according to analyses by CSIS and other sources, the United States may have used nearly half of its prewar stockpile of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems over the course of the operation so far, or around seven weeks.
In the early phase, during the first four to five days, there was even talk of more than 800 missiles being fired, together with allies from Arab states. Other estimates referred to hundreds in the first weeks. These include PAC-2 GEM-C (Guidance Enhanced Missile-Cruise), PAC-2 GEM-T (Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical), PAC-3 CRI (Cost Reduction Initiative), and PAC-3 MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement) missiles.
It is worth adding that on April 14 this year, it was reported that COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and Germany’s MBDA Deutschland, part of the European MBDA consortium, based in Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, would deliver hundreds of PAC-2 GEM-T missiles to Ukraine for 3.7 billion USD, financed by the German government.
The PAC-2 GEM-T interceptor missile, also designated TBM (Theater Ballistic Missile), entered service with the U.S. Army in 2006, although deliveries of 230 of the initially ordered 376 missiles began a year earlier. As the TBM designation indicates, the missile is intended primarily to counter medium-range ballistic missiles, or tactical-operational missiles, such as the Iskander-M, while the PAC-2 GEM-C variant is also designed to engage cruise missiles and aircraft.
The GEM-T/C is a deeply modernized version of the MIM-104C/D, or PAC-2, missile, which received a proximity fuse, a new radar receiver with increased accuracy, and new electronic components based on solid-state technology. In 2018, the missiles were fitted with a more durable digital transmitter using gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which is intended to reduce missile operating costs.
On May 19, 2025, it was reported that the United States was considering Poland’s request to purchase 788 PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for up to 5.8 billion USD under the Wisła program. Two of the 10 missiles purchased as part of a trial batch were fired on September 16 of the same year during the first-ever live-fire exercise of the Wisła/IBCS system at the Ustka training range.
However, it appears that, in line with emerging signals, ammunition deliveries to European countries will be delayed, except for those coming from the COMLOG production line. NATO has ordered 1,000 missiles for allies, but production is not expected to begin until late 2026. Priority is expected to be given to replenishing the stocks of U.S. forces and Gulf states.
Saudi Arabia reportedly fired more than 1,600 of its 2,800 PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, including CRI and MSE variants, while in recent weeks of the war with Iran, very heavy consumption of Patriot missiles was also recorded by Kuwait, with between 110 and 150 of around 200 missiles, as well as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both countries having around 2,400 missiles. These figures are, of course, estimates.