Intensified russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian cities have once again highlighted the critical need of missile defense systems in the country. In response, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi once again reminded allied nations that Ukraine has yet to secure all necessary agreements for the transfer of additional air defense systems.
"The Patriot systems, which the partners right now have simply lying elsewhere in storage, must actually protect life," Zelenskyi emphasized in his address on April 6.
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This statement references Kyiv's request a year ago for seven additional Patriot batteries. Even then, the request did not aim to meet the full requirement for comprehensive protection because that would need all 25 batteries. It's to address immediate needs.
As of spring 2024, Ukraine had only three operational Patriot fire units: one from the United States, one from Germany, and one more assembled of components provided jointly by Germany and the Netherlands. In the same way, Italy and France supplied a single SAMP/T system, hailed as the Patriot's European rival.
Since then, Ukraine has received three more full Patriot batteries and an incomplete one: additional ones from the U.S. and Germany, and, surprisingly, one from Romania, which had only recently acquired the system. However, the Netherlands was unable to secure a partner to complete another Patriot battery, transferring only parts of the system — a radar and three launchers.
In summary, Ukraine has now secured just half of its initial request for seven additional systems for a total of about six Patriot batteries of varying configurations. This remains far from the country’s full requirement of 25 batteries, or at least the bare minimum of 10.
Worth noting, Italy has pledged to provide another SAMP/T system. However, confidence in its effectiveness against ballistic missiles has waned, with official discussions now focused exclusively on acquiring additional American air defense systems. Still, if delivered, Ukraine’s air defense forces would operate two SAMP/Ts.
Also, in mid-2023, Raytheon, the manufacturer of the Patriot, announced that Ukraine would receive five additional batteries by the end of 2024. However, no updates on such deliveries have been confirmed.
Yet, beyond the shortage of air defense systems themselves, an even more pressing issue has emerged: the availability of interceptor missiles. Zelenskyi indirectly acknowledged this on February 19: "A commander called me and said: 'We are now near this city, and we have no missiles for the Patriot systems, we ran out of them'."
Thus, if Ukraine’s partners cannot sustain even the current six batteries with sufficient missile stockpiles, additional systems alone won't save the day. The core issue appears to be the reluctance — mostly of the United States — to ensure an adequate and consistent supply of interceptor missiles.
And it's not like there is nothing to send to Ukraine. For a reminder, Lockheed Martin reported a record-breaking production of 500 PAC-3 MSE missiles in 2024, with plans to increase output to 600 in 2025. Meanwhile, Raytheon manufactures up to 240 GEM-T missiles annually, which are essential for countering non-ballistic threats but struggle against ballistic missiles.
Not to mention, in June 2024, the Joe Biden administration announced that Ukraine would receive priority access to Patriot interceptor missiles over the next 16 months, second only to the U.S. Army and on equal footing with Taiwan.
Outside of U.S. production, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, under a licensing agreement, can assemble up to 30 MSE missiles per year. Meanwhile, Germany’s COMLOG joint venture (MBDA and Raytheon) is expected to begin GEM-T production no earlier than September 2026, once the necessary facilities are completed.
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