Overview
- Lockheed Martin told customers it cannot guarantee when or to whom PAC-3 Patriot interceptor missiles will be delivered because the U.S. Department of Defense controls allocation decisions.
- The company plans to raise PAC-3 output from roughly 650 to about 2,000 missiles a year by 2033 under a $4.7 billion Pentagon contract, but that ramp will not fix current shortages quickly.
- Ukraine has seen its Patriot missile stocks fall to critical levels after years of heavy use and competing demand from U.S. operations in the Middle East, leaving cities more exposed to ballistic attacks.
- Ukrainian firm Fire Point carried out a first flight test of its FP-7.x interceptor and says each missile costs about $700,000 and could be built at pace pending delivery of an infrared seeker, with full missiles expected by 2027 if components arrive.
- European defence firms and E3 governments are discussing a joint anti-ballistic system, but experts warn the new effort will likely supplement rather than replace Patriot capability in the near term and will reshape how allies compete for limited interceptors.