Zelensky seeks knowhow to produce Patriot missiles this year

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday he expects Ukraine to to acquire the knowhow to produce missiles for US Patriot defense systems by the end of this year.

Kyiv is suffering from a shortage of ammunition for these air defense systems, considered the most effective against Russian ballistic missiles and heavily relied upon to protect the Ukrainian capital which is being targeted more and more frequently.

“We plan, by the end of 2026, to acquire the technical capacity to produce our own missiles with a Ukrainian team. American missiles manufactured by our own forces,” Zelensky told reporters.

“We are currently working on Patriot licenses.”

US President Donald Trump last week said he intended to authorize Ukraine to manufacture missiles for Patriot batteries.

However, the terms and timeline for a possible production license for PAC-3 missiles have not been specified.

Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Independent cited a Ukrainian official as saying that US defense group Lockheed Martin supports granting Ukraine the necessary licenses.

Establishing such industrial capacity would require more than a year and would not meet Kyiv’s immediate needs.

US stocks of interceptor missiles are also under pressure after recent conflicts in the Middle East.

According to the US think-tank FPRI, production of a PAC-3 MSE missile takes 24 months, and 30 months for its engine.

On Monday, nine European countries and Ukraine announced the creation of a coalition aimed at developing European antiballistic capabilities to protect the continent.