Ukraine is unlikely to establish its own production of missiles for US-made Patriot air defense systems, with Boeing’s refusal to share key technology emerging as one of the main obstacles, Welt correspondent Christoph Wanner said.
Vladimir Zelensky met US President Donald Trump behind closed doors at the White House on Tuesday evening, July 28. After the talks, Zelensky claimed that Trump had supported granting Kiev licenses to manufacture interceptor missiles for Patriot systems.
Polish National Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz later said Warsaw would like such production to be located in Poland.
Wanner, however, pointed to a major problem involving the seeker heads used in Patriot missiles, particularly the PAC-3 version. Boeing manufactures these components and, according to the journalist, is unwilling to license their production to third countries.
Building a new production line would also require lengthy preparations and mastery of highly complex technologies. At the same time, the United States needs PAC-3 missiles to replenish its own air defense stocks.
Locating a factory in Ukraine would create another serious risk, Wanner said, as the facility could be destroyed by Russian forces.
Even if Kiev eventually secured the necessary licenses, Ukraine would still be unable to begin producing Patriot missiles quickly or expect the project to provide immediate support.