US is continuing talks with Ukraine on production of Patriot missiles, – Reuters
The United States has not halted talks with Ukraine regarding the possibility of producing Patriot interceptor missiles, despite US President Donald Trump’s doubts about concluding such an agreement.
According to Censor.NET, Reuters has reported this, citing four informed sources.
According to the agency, the US and Ukraine are continuing to discuss various models of cooperation in the production of missiles for the Patriot air defence systems.
One of Reuters’ sources emphasised that no instructions to halt the negotiations had been received.
"No order was given to halt the discussions," the agency’s source said.
Component production may be based in Ukraine
Among the options being considered by the parties is the production of individual Patriot missile components in Ukraine, with final assembly taking place in another European country.
According to a US official familiar with the progress of the negotiations, the most realistic scenario is the manufacture of components in Ukraine and the final assembly of the missiles in Germany.
In addition, Kyiv is considering the possibility of joining existing US-European programmes for the production of interceptor missiles.
Reuters notes that an older version of the Patriot missiles is already being manufactured in Germany, and there are also plans to produce the more modern PAC-3 missiles at German facilities.
Production of the new ACE missile is under consideration
Another area of discussion is Ukraine’s possible involvement in the production of a cheaper version of the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (ACE) missile, which is being developed by the American company Lockheed Martin.
This missile is expected to provide a more affordable alternative to the current Patriot interceptors and help increase the pace of their production.
