The US is reportedly nearing a deal to establish PAC-3 Patriot air defense missile maintenance centers in Europe.
Reuters on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source, said the proposals also included co-producing Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles in Europe.
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The AIM-120 AMRAAMs are used by Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets, which it received from its Western allies, while the PAC-3 Patriots are essential to Kyiv’s interception of Russian missiles.
The outlet said the parties are expected to sign a statement of intent at a NATO Industry Forum late on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
The proposed deal could allow Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, the arms maker of the Patriot missiles, to bolster production in the US by freeing up capacity.
However, it falls short of a joint production of PAC-3 missiles in Europe as speculated earlier.
The Financial Times (FT), citing “people familiar with the matter,” reported on July 1 that Germany was eyeing a joint production deal to make PAC-3 Patriot missiles in the country.
Currently, the PAC-3 missiles are only made in the US and under license in Japan, with Germany producing the older PAC-2 variants domestically – some destined for Ukraine starting in 2027 under a €4 billion ($4.7 billion) deal signed in April.
Demand for Patriot missiles has surged since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Kyiv having proven the missiles’ effectiveness at countering Russian ballistic missiles.
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For months, President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed for more Patriot missiles as they are one of the few in Kyiv’s arsenal capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles – an appeal amplified after Russia’s recent massive strikes on Kyiv on July 2 and July 6.
However, supplies of Patriots have been marred by production backlogs.
Zelensky has arrived in Turkey for the NATO summit, with NATO members expected to announce a €70 billion ($80 billion) pledge to bolster Kyiv’s defense. NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte also said the summit would address collective defense spending and Ukraine’s defense needs.
“Allies and NATO partners must continue to ensure Ukraine gets what it needs,” Rutte said on Monday. “All Allies need to pull their weight, so that our support to Ukraine continues to flow.”
Zelensky is also expected to meet US President Donald Trump face-to-face at the summit.
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