Boeing mulls Patriot seeker upgrades amid soaring demand

Driving the news: In an interview at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Alabama, Boeing executive Jim Bryan told Axios ongoing research-and-development efforts include the introduction of "more solid-state components that are, maybe, lower maintenance," plus "smaller packaging."

• "The mix of technology in what we have today works very well," he said. "There is some apprehension to mess with a really good recipe."

State of play: Boeing, a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin, has produced more than 5,000 Patriot seekers since 2000.

• It hit an all-time high last year, completing more than 500 deliveries.
• "The market has been 'how much and how fast,'" Bryan said. "For the Army, we've asked them to give us a target. They say they need infinite now."

Zoom out: Engagements in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, namely the defense of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, have elevated the Patriot profile.

• Aviation Week on Aug. 6 reported Lockheed was eyeing a "dramatic rise" in interceptor production.
• "People want it because it works," Bryan told me. "That weapon is speaking for itself; that weapon is, essentially, selling itself."

Go deeper: U.S. moves Patriot defenses to Middle East with dozens of C-17 flights