A Patriot air-defence missile, which could soon be produced in Ukraine under US license. AFPInfoLicensed manufacturing under strict US oversight will shorten supply lines, boost Kyiv's defence industry and deepen military ties
The US has agreed to licence Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air-defence missiles, marking the most significant American defence-industrial commitment since Russia's 2022 invasion.
Production would occur under strict US oversight, with technical specifications, quality control and export restrictions remaining in American hands.
Setting up a licensed production line would cost at least $1 billion, though an accelerated facility could be operational within 18 months.
Ukraine is already developing a low-cost domestic interceptor, the FP-7, costing $700,000 — a fraction of a Patriot Pac-3 missile's £4 million price tag.
