Patriot air defence upgrades sale to Ukraine approved by US
Washington has approved Ukraine’s potential acquisition of equipment upgrades to its Patriot air defence launchers. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency announced the approval from the American State Department of the possible foreign military sale, potentially worth up to $105 million, saying it has notified Congress.
The main contractors for the deal would be RTX Corp and Lockheed Martin, the two primary companies responsible for building Patriot systems and missiles.
America firs delivered the systems to Ukraine in April 2023, over a year after the invasion and start of the war. Russia attacked military and civilian targets with drones and missiles, including hypersonic weapons. Patriot air defence systems are seen as vital for Ukrainian defence.
Germany is among the other nations which has also provided Patriot systems to Ukraine. NATO’s top commander said that he would be pushing to send more Patriot systems to the country as quickly as possible at a conference in Germany in July. That same month, the US said that it would be sending the systems intended to be sold to Switzerland to Ukraine.
The US and other partner nations also need the systems elsewhere, including the Middle East and Taiwan where they would be useful against a potential invasion from China. Production bottlenecks which limit production could make countries less likely to sell the systems, needing instead to maintain their own stock.
The services and equipment included in the sale will allow Ukraine to upgrade its current M901 Patriot launchers to the M903 configuration. The sale also includes ground support equipment, spare parts, support and training, accessories, and other logistical and program support.
Image: Sgt. Alexandra Shea
Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.
Follow us on:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!
We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!
