Lockheed, Raytheon explore feasibility of producing PAC-3 missiles in Ukraine

The discussions, the companies said, come weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to grant a license allowing Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, Aviation Week reported on July 20.

Ukraine relies heavily on Patriots to counter Russian ballistic missiles, though the costly interceptors are also in high demand by the United States and its allies, especially in the Middle East.

Lockheed Martin and RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies Corporation) told reporters that they are in talks with the U.S. government about how production might be established overseas.

“All I could say is it's early, and we're having discussions with the U.S. Army and, basically, we're going to support the U.S. Army and the administration on what they want to go do,” the report quoted Tim Cahill, head of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

“So, I believe they're evaluating options, and we will support each of those options and do what needs to be done based upon that. But it's just too early to tell.”

Lockheed Martin builds the PAC

RTX, which makes the Patriot launcher and the PAC

“With Ukraine, working with the United States government, we are working on all three of those kinds of lines of effort to determine what is feasible and what is best for Ukraine,” Aviation Week quoted Laliberty.

“That process has just started, and we'll of course be following the United States government's lead.”