The U.S. is investing more than $3 billion to increase production of Patriot and THAAD missiles – Reuters
The U.S. Department of Defense has signed a framework agreement with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman worth more than $3 billion to expand production of components for Patriot and THAAD interceptor missiles. The initiative is intended to accelerate the production of air and missile defense systems.
The agreement was announced by the Pentagon and Northrop Grumman on Monday, August 3. The agreement calls for ramping up production of components for two key U.S. air defense systems as conflicts in Iran and Ukraine deplete weapons stockpiles. Under the framework agreement, production of Patriot missiles is set to triple, while production of THAAD systems is set to quadruple.
The agreement follows a deal with Lockheed Martin worth up to $58.6 billion, which the U.S. Army signed last week for the production of Patriot interceptor missiles.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently estimated that the U.S. Army has fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptors and fewer than 250 THAAD interceptors in service. Both systems have been actively deployed in the Middle East. Pentagon negotiators insisted that contractors accelerate the implementation of preliminary agreements to increase missile production, which were concluded earlier this year.
Incidentally, Ukraine chronically suffers from a shortage of Patriot missiles—the only weapon in its arsenal capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.
Under the agreement, the U.S. will establish a second supplier of solid-fuel engines for the PAC-3 and increase production of safety ignition devices. The Pentagon has also signed a similar framework agreement with RTX—the parent company of Raytheon—to increase production of Tomahawk cruise missiles: from the current approximately 60 units per year for U.S. needs to 1,000 units annually in the future, Reuters reports.
Earlier, Zelenskyy explained to U.S. senators how to end the war in Ukraine.
Prior to that, Zelenskyy met in the U.S. with the manufacturer of the F-16 and Patriot systems.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President, commented on the talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump, which took place at the White House with the participation of a Ukrainian delegation on July 28.
