“Patriot” missile production in Ukraine will be complex and could take years

Launching production of interceptor missiles for “Patriot” systems will be difficult and unlikely to help Ukraine in the near future.

Bloomberg writes about this, citing experts in the field.

According to experts, the biggest problem will be the production of modern PAC-3 missiles, which intercept ballistic missiles. Each such missile costs about $5 million. Currently, they are produced only in the United States and Japan, as their development requires American technology, special equipment, and trained personnel.

Bloomberg Economics defense expert Becca Wasser says Ukraine will not be able to quickly establish production of “Patriot” missiles because it takes years, and strict US control over technology makes the process even more difficult.

In addition, during the meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump on July 8, the latter said that Lockheed Martin, which produces “Patriot” missiles, had not yet been informed of the development permit promised to Ukraine.

In addition, “Lockheed Martin” reported that it plans to triple missile production only by 2030 due to a shortage of components. Even if Ukraine receives permission, a new supply chain will have to be created, and most components cannot be purchased in the open access.

Experts call security a separate problem. The new missile production plant will become one of the main targets for Russian strikes. Therefore, some experts believe that it would be more expedient to build it outside Ukraine — for example, in Poland.

At the same time, Advisor to the Minister of Defense Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov urges "not to listen to pessimists". According to him, after receiving the license, Ukraine will have access to technologies, production processes, training of specialists and assistance from consultants. The only problem is time: the launch of production may take a year or more.

• “Patriot” is an American long-range anti-aircraft missile system, which is the basis of the air defense of the US Army. The system is capable of destroying aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles at a distance of up to 160 km.
• The weapon successfully shoots down Russian ballistic missiles, despite the fact that they can deviate from the trajectory, because “Patriot” automatically calculates the missileʼs flight trajectory and the point of meeting its missile with ballistics.

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