US ramps up Patriot and THAAD missile production
Patriot air defense system (photo: Getty Images)
The United States is expanding production of Patriot and THAAD missiles after its stockpiles were depleted by the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, Reuters reports.
Pentagon launches new production
The United States has signed a contract worth more than $3 billion with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production of components for Patriot and THAAD interceptor missiles.
According to the agency, the agreement follows a contract announced last week. Under that deal, Lockheed Martin received an order worth up to $58.6 billion to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.
Why the US is increasing production
According to Reuters, Washington continues to supply weapons to its allies while also using its own munitions due to the conflict involving Iran.
Against this backdrop, concerns are growing in the United States over shrinking stockpiles of air defense systems and precision-guided weapons.
According to the Pentagon, the new framework agreement will allow Patriot missile production to triple and increase the production of components for THAAD systems fourfold.
Patriot remains critical for Ukraine
According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States has fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptor missiles and fewer than 250 THAAD missiles remaining in its inventory. Both systems have been used extensively during operations in the Middle East.
Reuters notes that Ukraine continues to face a chronic shortage of Patriot missiles, which remain the only weapons in its arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
What the contract includes
According to the Pentagon, the agreement provides for the creation of a second production source for PAC-3 solid rocket motors, as well as increased production of igniter devices.
In addition, Reuters recalls that a similar framework agreement was previously signed with RTX to sharply increase production of Tomahawk cruise missiles — from about 60 to 1,000 units per year.
Ukraine had previously hoped to obtain a license to produce interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, but those plans will not be realized in the near future. The United States has said that negotiations on the issue are continuing, but the sides will not reach an agreement before the start of winter.
