Trump Proposes Ukraine Manufacturing Patriot Missiles
During a visit to Turkey, President Donald Trump expressed a desire to allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles, despite a decline in U.S. stockpiles. His remarks came during a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the NATO summit in Ankara.
The news agency reported that the supply of Patriot anti-missile systems is limited, largely due to their ongoing use in conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and in the Middle East. The Army and Ukraine’s embassy in Washington did not respond to inquiries for comment.
Trump mentioned, “A little bird told me,” referring to providing support to Ukraine and emphasized, “We’ll teach them how to make it. It’s very complicated, but we’ll give you the license to produce Patriots. Isn’t that cool?”
He noted that this arrangement might prevent complaints about the lack of supply, stating, “That way he won’t be able to complain that we don’t give them to him. Make them yourself.”
Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanishina, remarked on the strategic importance of continued cooperation between the U.S. and Ukraine. She stated that cooperation on Patriot missile capabilities and the ongoing drone deal represent a mutual understanding. She believes that joint production and licensing could enhance defense capabilities and help meet urgent foreign needs while allowing the U.S. to modernize its own military.
According to reports, the current average production time for Patriot missiles is about 42 months. Trump acknowledged this delay but noted that Lockheed Martin is working on a new factory to accelerate production.
“The company that makes the Patriot is building four factories right now. Our companies can get this done within a couple of months, but if you order a Patriot, you’re going to have to wait a long time,” he said.
RTX’s Raytheon division is responsible for the Patriot air and missile defense systems, while Lockheed Martin produces the interceptor missiles launched from these systems. Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the Army aimed at boosting production capacity significantly over the next several years.
The U.S. military has reportedly used up a significant portion of its Patriot missile stock since the onset of the Iran war, with estimates suggesting that between 1,060 and 1,430 of 2,330 available missiles have been deployed.
However, these figures might be outdated as they were reported in April 2026, and current stock levels could be even lower. The Department of the Army has yet to confirm the current status of these missiles.
Stockpile replenishment for Patriot interceptors is projected to take over three years, and there are concerns that many other critical systems, like the THAAD interceptor system, are similarly depleted.
The proportion of THAAD munitions used also reached high levels during the Iran conflict, with reports indicating that up to 80% of the stockpile may have been expended. Ambassador Stefanishina emphasized the importance of securing defensive capabilities for Ukraine’s protection and infrastructure, looking forward to concrete actions from this collaboration.
