By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
A desperate Ukraine reportedly has held talks with the US maker of the Patriot system in an attempt to obtain more of the few weapons able to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles.
According to Euromaidan Press, an online English-language independent newspaper published in Ukraine, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umrov met with Raytheon’s vice president for air and missile defense Joseph DeAntona.
“This is a matter of national priority – protecting our people, critical infrastructure, cities and villages,” Umrov said. He also said that deeper cooperation with Raytheon is a “strategic pillar” of Ukrainian cooperation with the US.
Last year, the US and Israel reportedly discussed a plan to send as many as eight Patriot batteries to Ukraine. The Biden administration said it would temporarily halt the deliveries of Patriot and NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems) interceptors to overseas customers other than Ukraine and Taiwan. The US called the move necessary to “ensure Ukraine’s survival.”
The Patriot has been in service since 1984 and was acclaimed during the 2003 Gulf War for knocking down Iraqi missiles. It has a range of about 100 miles and uses the PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, which are equipped with high-tech guidance and control systems that enable them to maneuver toward and destroy incoming targets.
Ukraine received the first of its Patriot batteries in 2023. They have been used to shoot down a number of Russia’s Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, along with at least one A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Ukraine is also fielding a US-made air defense system that was developed in the 1950s – the Hawk missile. Last November, Military News reported that Ukraine has used the Hawk to shoot down more than 40 Russian Shahed drones and cruise missiles. The system is said to be used alongside other, more sophisticated and long-range systems, such as the Patriot and the S-300.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin and Germany’s Rheinmetall have agreed to launch large-scale joint missile production in Europe. A press release didn’t name the weapons that would be produced, but European news media now say that the PAC-3 interceptor for the Patriot and the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) will be among those built.
Both the US and German governments must still approve the agreement. If all goes well, production of rocket motors would begin next year and missiles in 2027, with full production expected by 2030 at the latest.
Morris is the Warrior Vice President, News. Morris is a former Executive, Producer and Editor at ABC news and Bloomberg TV