COLOGNE, Germany — German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has lobbied U.S. defense leaders to allow the production of PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles in Germany, arguing an additional production site would help alleviate a glaring shortfall in the global supply chain for the vital air-defense weapons.
Pistorius’ comments in Berlin on Wednesday offer more details about an agreement struck with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon last week.
The German defense minister said the spirit of that accord reflects Berlin’s willingness to manufacture all elements of the Patriot value chain — PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors, launchers and all — in Germany, plus whatever other American weaponry is in short supply among allies.
Germany’s MBDA already makes PAC-2 interceptors, a Raytheon product. The more advanced, and more expensive, PAC-3 MSE interceptors, on the other hand, are made by Lockheed Martin, which has a longstanding cooperation agreement in Germany with Rheinmetall, including in the missile sector.
Whether PAC-3 production in Germany or elsewhere in Europe will come to pass is largely a matter of the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin playing along. Details would likely also depend on the scope of work happening abroad.
The performance characteristics of Patriot interceptors are a closely guarded secret, as that information could allow adversaries to build countermeasures into their attack missiles. There is also a business decision wrapped up in the export of Patriot production, as the equipment has been a decades-old cash cow for the manufacturers and the U.S. government alike.
Ukrainian leaders said in July they were promised by U.S. President Donald Trump that they would be able to make Patriot interceptors under license in Ukraine, though the details of that arrangement remain unclear.
Patriot interceptors are a key defense against Russian missiles that have been battering Ukrainian cities.
Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Previously he served as managing editor for Defense News. He is based in Cologne, Germany.
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