US Plans Joint Missile Production in Europe

The US is in talks with Germany and other European allies about launching joint production of Raytheon's AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. The plan also includes establishing a European maintenance center for Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 Patriot missiles.

According to an anonymous source cited by Reuters, the countries are expected to sign a declaration of intent at the NATO Industrial Forum during the summit in Ankara. The projects would help ease pressure on US factories while allowing defense manufacturers to expand production capacity.

PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems and AIM-120C-8 missiles used by NASAMS systems and F-16 fighter jets are critical to Ukraine's air defense against Russian attacks. However, US stockpiles have been significantly depleted by the simultaneous demands of the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act in June to address critical bottlenecks in ammunition supply chains. He has repeatedly criticized European allies for relying on US security guarantees and urged them to increase defense spending.

By shifting part of missile production and maintenance to Europe, Washington hopes to encourage greater European self-sufficiency while reducing pressure on the US defense industry.

(Reuters, Max)