The U.S. Navy has successfully demonstrated the integration of the M903 Patriot missile launcher on the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8), marking a major step in strengthening naval air and missile defense capabilities.
The test, conducted in San Diego from August 24–30, 2025, placed the launcher on the ship’s flight deck. According to Tom Cavanagh, Director of Naval Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, the demonstration reflects growing interest in adapting land-based missile systems for maritime use to counter expanding missile arsenals across the Pacific.
The M903 launcher—normally deployed on land—can carry up to 16 PAC-3 interceptors, 12 PAC-3 MSE missiles, or four PAC-2 GEM-Ts. For the trial, the system was loaded with PAC-3 MSE missiles, offering a wide engagement envelope against cruise, ballistic, and even hypersonic threats.
This marks the second adaptation of non-traditional launchers on LCS vessels, following earlier experiments with the Mk 70 Payload Delivery System, a containerized variant of the Mk 41 VLS. Former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro highlighted such upgrades as a way to restore the LCS program’s combat relevance, adding capabilities once considered beyond the class’s design.
The integration of PAC-3 MSE is part of a wider Navy modernization push that includes Naval Strike Missiles, Hellfire launchers, and containerized Mk 70 systems. Collectively, these efforts aim to transition LCS ships from limited littoral missions toward fleet defense roles, addressing long-standing criticism over their lack of firepower.
Global navies are following similar paths. Israel has deployed C-Dome interceptors on Sa’ar 6 corvettes, the UK uses Sea Ceptor derived from its Sky Sabre system, and Türkiye successfully fired a Hisar-D RF from frigate TCG Istanbul in August 2025. Germany, South Korea, India, and China are also adapting land-based SAMs for naval service, underscoring a broader trend of cross-domain missile integration.
For the U.S., the Montgomery experiment suggests that Patriot-equipped LCS vessels could rapidly deploy missile defense to forward areas, such as the Philippines, without relying on ground-based batteries. While still in testing, this capability could significantly enhance fleet survivability in high-threat regions.
