12.07.2026
The American defense concern Lockheed Martin has an interest in allowing Ukraine to produce ammunition for heavy Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems. Granting a license to Ukrainian manufacturers is a direct benefit for the concern.
This was stated by US Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, as quoted by Bloomberg.
What is known
The politician’s statement came during his visit to Ukraine. McCaul suggested that Ukraine could produce Patriot ammunition faster, and perhaps more efficiently, than American manufacturers.
“I think it’s in their (Lockheed Martin’s) best interest for a lot of reasons. If the president wants it done, it’s in their best interest to get it done,” McCaul said.
According to him, the Ukrainian military leadership informed him about domestic drone technology and the achievements of their forces in the de-occupation of Ukraine.
“I think the Ukrainians can build Patriots faster, and maybe even better. So Lockheed Martin could learn something from the Ukrainians about their own interceptors – how to improve them, how to produce them faster,” McCaul said.
The publication writes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long asked the United States and other allies to provide more ammunition to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. At the NATO summit in Ankara, Donald Trump told Zelensky that the United States would license the production of Patriot, which also includes technology from Raytheon’s RTX Corp.
Recall that foreign defense experts warn that it will take a long time to deploy ammunition production capacities for the Patriot air defense system, and a critical shortage of missiles is already being felt. In this situation, Germany may become a key partner for Ukraine.
As OBOZ.UA reported, missile production could start in a few weeks. Poland has announced its readiness to join the project and cooperate with Ukraine in the production and maintenance of BCs for anti-aircraft missile systems.