Patriot stocks in Europe have fallen critically low, with Ukraine bearing brunt – Associated Press
Europe is facing a critical shortage of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, with the shortage being felt most acutely in Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported in an Associated Press article citing US Department of Defence officials in Europe and NATO representatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Patriot stocks in Europe have proved insufficient
According to a US Department of Defence representative, the greatest concern is the shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, which are capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.
A NATO representative also confirmed that stocks of Patriot missiles held by US and NATO forces in Europe are insufficient.
The US official stated that in the event of a Russian missile strike, NATO could find itself in a situation similar to that currently facing Ukraine. He said that in such a scenario, the Alliance might be forced to "take one strike after another".
According to the publication, the situation has escalated since the start of the US war against Iran. US missile stocks in Europe have been redeployed to the Middle East, where the US and its Gulf allies have been using a significant number of Patriot interceptors to destroy Iranian drones and missiles.
NATO and the Pentagon deny the scale of the shortage
The shortage of Patriot missiles is felt most acutely in Ukraine. According to sources, US troops in Europe are also facing a critical shortage of ATACMS missiles.
At the same time, NATO’s senior military spokesperson, US Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, stated that reports of a shortage of Patriot missiles in Europe "simply do not correspond to reality".
He said that NATO is capable of "repelling attacks" and has sufficient air defence munitions to defend itself whilst also assisting Ukraine.
Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell also dismissed claims of a shortage of US ammunition as false.
One alternative to the Patriot could be the Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG air defence system. France has promised to speed up its delivery to Ukraine. According to the manufacturer, the upgraded system is better equipped to counter ballistic missiles.
However, the SAMP/T NG has not yet undergone combat testing. The current version of the SAMP/T has a shorter range than the Patriot.
According to sources, since the start of the war with Iran, the US has used 65 per cent of its Patriot missiles — around 1,500 out of the 2,330 interceptors at the country’s disposal.
This year, around 600 Patriot missiles are planned to be manufactured, including for Europe. By 2030, production is set to increase to 2,000 missiles per year.
According to NATO, Europe’s first Patriot missile production plant is due to open in Germany in September. Deliveries are likely to begin early next year.
The first missiles are to be delivered to countries that have already placed orders. These include Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain.
