Overview
- Russia has sharply increased ballistic-missile strikes, forcing Ukrainian defenses to fire interceptors faster than they can be replaced and leaving some launch units empty during massed attacks.
- PAC-3 Patriot interceptors are the most capable option to shoot down ballistic missiles but are complex and slow to make, so global output cannot meet concurrent demand from multiple conflicts.
- Manufacturers and suppliers have announced capacity expansions, including new production facilities and component lines, but Lockheed and the U.S. Defense Department say allocations are constrained and the ramp will take years.
- Ukraine is pressing allies for more interceptors and testing lower-cost domestic and European alternatives, but those programs face technical and supply hurdles and are not an immediate replacement.
- The shortage has direct human costs, shown by recent deadly strikes on civilian sites in Kyiv, and the competition for interceptors from Gulf states is a near-term force multiplier for the supply gap.