The U.S. government said this week it has approved Ukraine’s potential purchase of equipment to upgrade its Patriot air defense launchers to the latest configuration.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced State Department approval of the possible foreign military sale, which could be worth up to $105 million, in a Tuesday statement and said it has notified Congress. The main contractors on the deal would be RTX Corp. of Arlington, Va., and Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., which are the primary companies that build Patriot systems and missiles.
The United States first shipped Patriot systems to Ukraine in April 2023, more than a year after Russia invaded and launched a grueling war. Russia bombards military targets and cities and other civilian sites with drones and missiles, including hypersonic weapons daily. Patriots are now seen as crucial to Ukraine’s effort defense against Russian attacks.
Other nations, such as Germany, have also provided Patriot systems to Ukraine. NATO’s top commander told a conference in Germany in July that he was pushing to transfer more Patriot systems to Ukraine as quickly as possible.
That same month, the U.S. told Switzerland it would send Patriot systems that had been intended for sale to the Swiss to Ukraine instead.
But the U.S. and other partner nations also need Patriot batteries elsewhere, including in the Middle East and Taiwan, which would use them against a potential Chinese invasion. Patriot production faces bottlenecks that limit production, which can make nations reluctant to part with many of their systems, and they need to maintain their own stockpiles.
Still, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this month Ukraine had received more Patriot systems.
This most recent sale approval would allow Ukraine to improve Patriots already in hand.
The equipment and services included in the sale would allow Ukraine to upgrade its current complement of M901 Patriot launchers to the M903 configuration. The sale would also include ground support equipment, spare parts, support, training, accessories, and other logistical and program support elements.
M903 launchers can fire all different types of Patriot missiles, according to Lockheed Martin, including the PAC-3 MSE, or missile segment enhancement. The PAC-3 MSE has improved capabilities such as updated software and systems that allow it to home in on and destroy an enemy target.
The M903 launcher can carry up to 12 PAC-3 MSE missiles, or a combination of fewer PAC-3 MSEs and other types of Patriot missiles.
DSCA said Ukraine would have no trouble integrating these Patriot upgrades and equipment into its armed forces and leave it better able to defend itself but would not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The statement said the sale will support the U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives “by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”
If Ukraine buys the Patriot upgrades and equipment, DSCA said it would require about five U.S. government personnel and 15 contractors to be assigned to Europe for up to a month to train Ukrainian personnel.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
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