Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine still cannot get enough Patriot interceptors. Europe’s 44 countries have more than double the population of the United States and roughly seventeen times the population of Ukraine, while their combined GDP is comparable to America’s.
Europe manufactures cars, machinery, chemicals, and electronics at industrial scale. There is no reason it cannot build enough air defense systems to prevent Ukraine from being blown off the map. It seems that Europe’s failure to help is a political choice.
Granted, missile production is difficult. It depends on a narrow set of specialized inputs, including solid rocket motors, energetic materials, seekers, guidance electronics, and fuses. Each has its own supplier and qualification chain. However, these are not insurmountable barriers. Complex industries routinely overcome such challenges through investment and commitment. What is more, the United States has already proven that it can be done.
Lockheed Martin increased annual production of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE), the advanced interceptor used by the Patriot air-defense system, from about 300 missiles before 2022 to more than 600 in 2025. The U.S. government and Lockheed Martin have now agreed on a plan to increase annual production capacity to 2,000 interceptors. If a single American manufacturer can expand production on that scale, Europe has the industrial capacity to do the same if governments are willing to make the necessary investments and long-term commitments.
Germany has taken steps to expand the supply of Patriot interceptors. Berlin has sought U.S. approval for licensed production of PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors in Germany, while German manufacturer Diehl Defence and Lockheed Martin have agreed to expand the PAC-3 MSE supply chain in the country. In July 2026, Germany also joined the United States, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden in agreeing to explore the establishment of a PAC-3 maintenance facility in Europe.
Berlin secured an agreement to deliver 30 PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine, supplemented by five missiles from its own stockpiles, in one Ramstein-format round. Germany separately signed a contract for 600 interceptor missiles, although no delivery timeline was specified. Zelensky has described deliveries under a related IRIS-T supply plan as being spread over three years.
Hellbound and Down 