US struggles to produce more Patriot missiles – media

Reuters has reported that the US plan to produce more missiles for Patriot air defence systems supplied to Ukraine at factories in Japan has been delayed due to a shortage of a critical component manufactured by Boeing.

Source: Reuters, citing four anonymous sources

Details: In order to expand production of Patriot missiles in Japan, the US needs to supply more missile seekers, which guide the missiles during the last stages of the flight and which are manufactured by the US company Boeing, sources told Reuters.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) already makes about 30 missiles a year under licence from defence contractor Lockheed Martin and could increase that number to 60, according to two Japanese government officials and two industry sources.

A person familiar with the programme said that the US hopes to increase production from about 500 per year to more than 750 per year globally as soon as possible.

"It could take several years before MHI is able to raise output" because of the shortage, one of the industry sources told Reuters.

Boeing began expanding its facilities to increase production by 30% last year, although the additional production lines will not come online until 2027.

Even if there is a supply of enough seekers, expanding the annual production of Patriot missiles in Japan beyond 60 will require MHI to increase capacity, Reuters reported.

In light of this, MHI or the United States will have to find the funds to build a new missile production plant, which could cost tens of millions of dollars, according to one Japanese government source.

Background:

• On 11 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes additional air defence systems from Ukraine’s partners will arrive in Ukraine as soon as possible.
• During the opening of the NATO summit in Washington, DC, on 9 July, US President Joe Biden announced the supply of five air defence systems to Ukraine, including Patriot.

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