The Boeing Co. [BA] delivered the 500th Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile seeker to Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT], the PAC-3 prime contractor.

The seeker enables the weapon system to detect and track targets.

Boeing and Lockheed, along with government and industry partners, celebrated the December delivery milestone during a March 8 ceremony at the Boeing Missile Defense Systems production facility in Huntsville, Ala.

The PAC-3, which the Army deployed overseas, is a high-velocity, hit-to-kill missile and the newest addition to the Patriot family of missiles.

That seeker detects and tracks the target during the terminal phase of an engagement, providing data to the on-board missile guidance system.