Germany Seeks European Production of Patriot Interceptor Missiles

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Germany wants a production line for the PAC-3 interceptor missile—one of the key munitions used by the U.S.–made Patriot air-defence system—to be established in Europe. Pistorius said the request follows a recent visit to Washington, where he met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and signed a statement of intent to deepen defence-industrial cooperation. He emphasized that any arrangement would still require U.S. government approval and the consent of the missile manufacturers, given the sensitivity of American intellectual property.

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The Patriot system has become a cornerstone of NATO air-defence, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where the missiles are employed to protect cities and critical infrastructure from ballistic attacks. Demand for Patriot interceptors has surged across the alliance, while the United States has exhausted hundreds of missiles in its own operations, creating a global shortage. European governments are therefore looking to augment supply by shifting production closer to the front lines.

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While accepting that some U.S. capabilities could be redeployed—potentially to the Indo-Pacific—Pistorius warned that withdrawals must not create “dangerous capability gaps” that Europe cannot fill quickly.

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Germany already manufactures PAC-2 GEM-T interceptors through COMLOG, a joint venture between MBDA Germany and Raytheon. In contrast, the PAC-3 MSE missile is currently produced solely by Lockheed Martin in the United States, underscoring the limited European capacity for the most advanced Patriot munitions.

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• “We understand that certain capabilities could be withdrawn in order to use them elsewhere, for example in the Indo-Pacific. But we need a roadmap,” — Boris Pistorius, defense minister

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