Deploying production of missiles for Patriot systems in Ukraine could take several years. The plan to grant Kyiv a license to produce interceptors is still at an early stage.
Even after possible approval, creating capacity to produce such complex weapons would be a long and technically difficult process.
Fabian Hoffmann, an expert at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, said the key problem with licensed production lies not in final assembly but in localizing the supply chain.
“The main problem with licensed production is that it only makes sense if you can properly localize the supply chain. Final assembly is not the bottleneck. If I have all the components, I can assemble them in Ukraine,” he said.
Analysts also note that it remains unclear exactly which version of the interceptors Ukraine may be allowed to produce.
This could involve older PAC-2 missiles, produced by RTX, or more advanced PAC-3 missiles made by Lockheed Martin.
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