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It could take years for Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles – Bloomberg
Despite US President Donald Trump saying he would allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot missiles, launching production could take years because of technological and supply chain challenges, according to Bloomberg.
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Despite US President Donald Trump saying he would allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot missiles, launching production could take years because of technological and supply chain challenges, according to Bloomberg.
Source: Bloomberg
Details: Bloomberg says that large-scale production of Patriot missiles by Lockheed Martin would be difficult to replicate, with the complexity depending on which version of the missile Ukraine would seek to manufacture.
The PAC-3 interceptor, which is capable of destroying ballistic missiles and costs around US$5 million per missile, is one of the world's most advanced air defence interceptors. It is currently produced only in the United States and Japan.
Becca Wasser, Bloomberg Economics defence lead, said: "A Patriot missile takes years to build, meaning Ukrainian production of these missiles won't materialise on the near-term timelines they need."
She added that strict US controls over sensitive technologies could further slow the process.
Existing supply chains are already under significant strain and establishing a new production line would require specialised equipment and extensive workforce training.
Some components, such as the missile's airframe, are relatively straightforward to manufacture.
However, producing solid-fuel rocket motors with the required performance and consistency, the small attitude-control motors used by the PAC-3 for manoeuvring in the upper atmosphere and the missile's guidance system would be far more challenging.
Only a limited number of components could realistically be sourced from existing suppliers.
The PAC-3 seeker, which guides the missile during the final moments before intercepting its target, is manufactured by Boeing for both US production and production lines operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Bloomberg reported that Boeing declined to comment and Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Any new missile production facility in Ukraine would become a priority target for Russian attacks, the news agency noted.
Some experts therefore suggest building such a plant abroad, particularly in Poland, where the government recently signed an agreement to service European PAC-3 missiles.
Meanwhile, the US is rushing to increase Patriot missile production following the outbreak of war with Iran.
However, Lockheed Martin has said it will take until 2030 to triple production capacity.
Background:
On 8 July, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump said the US would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles.
On 7 July, it emerged that the United States was in talks with Germany and other European countries on jointly producing AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and servicing PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems in Europe.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that securing Patriot interceptor missiles would be the key topic of discussions with Kyiv's partners, stressing that the missiles can be obtained from countries other than the US.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has also sent letters to nearly 40 partner countries, urging them to send Patriot missiles from existing stockpiles to Ukraine as early as this month.
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