US allows Poland to produce Patriot missiles amid shortages for Ukraine
Photo: Patriot air defense system (Getty Images)
Polish Deputy Minister of Defence Cezary Tomczyk said that the US Department of State has preliminarily approved the production of missiles for Patriot air defence systems at Polish defense manufacturing facilities.
Poland has received preliminary approval from the US
The Polish government has reported progress in negotiations with Washington on localizing the production of missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
According to Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk, the US Department of State has given preliminary approval for the implementation of such a project.
The missiles are planned to be manufactured at facilities within Poland’s defense industry. Tomczyk said this would be an important step in strengthening the country’s military capabilities.
Why the US has changed its position
Negotiations on establishing production have been ongoing for a long time, but Washington previously showed reluctance to share such technologies.
The situation has now changed due to growing demand for missiles and declining US stockpiles.
Modern PAC-3 MSE missiles have been supplied to Ukraine, purchased by US allies, and some stock has been used during the war with Iran.
Against this backdrop, the US is interested not only in replenishing its stockpiles but also in expanding production.
Currently, around 700 PAC-3 MSE missiles are produced annually, but the US aims to increase output to 2,000 units by the end of 2030.
What else Warsaw and Washington are discussing
Tomczyk said that after a visit by a Polish delegation to the United States, the American side has become more open to cooperation.
According to him, the production of Patriot missiles could be organized within a consortium of Polish defense companies.
In addition, Washington is interested in the possibility of producing long-range missiles for HIMARS in Poland, as well as Hellfire missiles used, in particular, on Apache helicopters.
The Polish military already operates two Patriot batteries and is expecting delivery of six additional systems. At the same time, Germany is also seeking to host the production of such missiles.
The US Army is pressuring defence contractors to propose a new interceptor missile for the Patriot air defence system, with a target cost of under $1 million per unit.
Separately, Fire Point co-founder Denys Shtilerman said that by the end of this year, Ukraine may conduct tests of a new air defence system seen as a more affordable alternative to Patriot.
