US in Talks to Bring PAC-3 Missile Maintenance to Europe
The US is reportedly nearing a deal to establish PAC-3 Patriot air defense missile maintenance centers in Europe. Reuterson Tuesday, citing an unnamed source, said the proposals also included co-producing. . .
The US is reportedly nearing a deal to establish PAC-3 Patriot air defense missile maintenance centers in Europe. Reuterson Tuesday, citing an unnamed source, said the proposals also included co-producing Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles in Europe. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the@Kyivpost_official. 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 waseyeing a joint production dealto make PAC-3 Patriot missiles in the country. Currently, the PAC-3 missiles are only made in the US andunder 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) dealsigned in April. Demand for Patriot missiles has surged since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Kyiv havingproven the missiles’ effectivenessat countering Russian ballistic missiles. Other Topics of Interest‘Skies Will Determine Outcome’: Zelensky Says 1,000 Drones Over Moscow Will Change Putin’s CalculusZelensky says Ukraine has stopped Russia on land and at sea – and now argues the battle for the skies will determine the war’s outcome. For months, President Volodymyr Zelensky hasappealedfor more Patriot missiles as they are one of the few in Kyiv’s arsenal capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles – an appealamplifiedafter Russia’s recent massive strikes on Kyiv on July 2 and July 6. However, supplies of Patriots have been marred byproduction backlogs. Zelensky has arrived in Turkey for the NATO summit, with NATO members expected to announce a€70 billion ($80 billion) pledgeto 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,” Ruttesaidon Monday. “All Allies need to pull their weight, so that our support to Ukraine continues to flow. ”Zelensky is alsoexpected to meetUS President Donald Trump face-to-face at the summit. Kyiv PostKyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.