The story of a Patriot that would not go away, and Europe that partly went it alone.

– How a multinational approach failed.

The system was intended as a replacement for the Patriot, and supposed to go with the PAC-3 MSE as its primary missile, although plans were made for multiple missile types as well.

The most obvious capability difference between Patriot and MEADS was that the latter’s radar provides 360 degree coverage and supports the full capability of the MSE missile.

In 1999, MEADS International* was selected by NATO MEADS Management Agency** to develop MEADS. Participating companies were MBDA Italia, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Lenkflugkorpersysteme (LFK) in Germany and Lockheed Martin in the United States.

Together these companies focused an international engineering team in Orlando to develop systems and technologies for the MEADS program.

In September 2004, the NAMEADSMA awarded MEADS International a letter contract valued at approximately $2B plus £1.4B to design and develop the system.

However, the story of MEADS has so far has resulted in no sales. Neither the USA, Germany, Italy nor any other major European country have acquired the system. Instead, the US has embarked on a process of gradually updating Patriot, inspired by the experience of developing MEADS. Back in Europe Italy teamed up with France for the Eurosam joint venture, and today both countries successfully deploy the SAMP/T air and missile defense system with the vertical launched ASTER missiles.

An upgraded version named SAMP/T NG, is underway and is due for serial production in 2025. The next generation SAMP/T comes with a new hit-to-kill missile and an AESA radar with 360 degrees coverage.

In 2022 Germany turned its attention the next generation Patriot with a developmental 360 degrees radar called GhostEye, which together with PAC-3 missiles formes the new system also known as Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense System (LTAMDS). This system is intended to ensure a 360° firing sector against cruise missiles, drones and ballistic battlefield weapons, as well as as a terminal defense together with AEGIS and THAAD.

Patriot is currently sold to, or in use by, as many as 18 countries worldwide, and the market for these new upgrades of Patriot is thus significant.
In Europe, the users are the Netherlands (1987), Germany (1989), Greece (1999), Spain (2004), Romania (2017), Sweden (2018), Poland (2018) and Switzerland (2022). In the rest of the world, there are a further nine user countries: Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Taiwan, Korea, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. Sorted by acquisition date.

*NAMEADSMA was a chartered organization of NATO.

**A multinational joint venture headquartered in Orlando, FL.