The global situation makes the defense missiles a box office hit. Now they will also be produced in Europe.
For many months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging the West to supply more Patriot anti-aircraft systems. He also asks for supplies of the associated missiles, which Ukraine is threatening to run out of. At the moment his concerns are particularly acute again. The country is suffering from intense shelling by the Russians.
The Patriot system is considered particularly effective at defending against enemy ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. It serves to protect both Ukrainian cities and the troops at the front from threats from the air.
A complex system
A Patriot fire unit or battery consists of a radar that detects enemy missiles, the fire control center that selects targets and coordinates defense, and three to eight mobile launch stations that then fire the defensive missiles.
Ukraine currently has three Patriot systems. Germany also recently announced that it would supply the country with another Patriot battery. Kiev believes that at least seven such batteries would be needed to protect the country from major Russian attacks.
But the number of existing systems is very limited. With around sixty, the USA owns the most. In Europe, Germany leads with eleven systems, all other countries have six or fewer. Given the current geopolitical situation, the countries concerned are hesitant to give up their air defense base.
Worldwide shortage of missiles
There is currently a bottleneck not only with the fire units, but especially with the Patriot defense missiles. The geopolitical situation has greatly fueled global demand for it. Ukraine and Israel have to procure supplies for the rockets that have been fired. Various states – especially in Europe – want to increase their own arsenals with Patriot missiles for their defense. Finally, the Americans are currently testing whether they can also install the Patriot system on their fleet. It would be integrated into the Aegis command system to protect the American Navy in the event of a possible conflict over Taiwan.
But global production of Patriot missiles is very limited and cannot be ramped up quickly. Since the first Patriot system was put into service by the USA in 1984, the missiles have been continuously developed. There are currently two main types in production: the most modern defense missile, PAC-3 MSE, which is particularly suitable for use against medium-range ballistic missiles, and the older PAC-2 GEM-T, which is used primarily against aircraft and cruise missiles.
The modern PAC-3 missiles are produced exclusively by Lockheed Martin in Camden, Arkansas. From an original annual production of 350 pieces in 2018, production was increased to 500 pieces last year. By 2027 it should be increased to 650. Lockheed has opened a new, 7,900 square meter factory specifically for this purpose and is planning further investments.
Switzerland will also introduce the Patriot system from 2027
The slightly older PAC-2 rockets are also manufactured in the USA by the defense company Raytheon. Annual production is currently 240 pieces. By 2027, the number there is to be increased to 420. In addition, production is now being set up in Europe. A group of NATO countries have together ordered a total of 1,000 PAC-2 GEM-Ts. A significant part of it will be produced in Europe. To this end, Raytheon is building a production facility in the Bavarian town of Schrobenhausen in a joint venture with the European defense company MBDA.
Switzerland is also introducing the Patriot system. With the Army Message 2022, it was decided to purchase 5 fire units with a total of 17 mobile launch stations and 70 PAC-2 GEM-T defense missiles for a total of $2.2 billion. Last October, a purchase agreement for 72 guided missiles of the more powerful PAC-3 MSE type was signed for $700 million. According to current planning, the introduction of the Patriot systems should begin in 2026. They should be fully operational by the end of 2031. Raytheon also wants to build a European Patriot regional center for maintenance, repair and overhaul in Switzerland in collaboration with Ruag and Rheinmetall Air Defense.
Alternative defense systems
Patriot is currently considered the most potent long-range defense system. For PAC-2 rockets this is around 160 kilometers. For PAC-3 it is secret, but is likely to be around one and a half times as much.
As an alternative to the Patriots, Ukraine still has the S-300 surface-to-air missiles from the Soviet era. They have a range of around 150 kilometers. It is not known exactly how many of the Ukrainian systems are still operational. Kiev received an additional system from Slovakia.
In addition to the Patriots, Ukraine has four German Iris-T anti-aircraft systems. However, these have a much smaller effective range (three of the SLM type with a range of 40 kilometers and an older one of the SLS type with a maximum distance of around 25 kilometers). Germany has promised to deliver an unspecified number of additional Iris-T units. Given the ongoing Russian attacks, Kiev will be able to use these very well.