- Category
- Defense Tech
Lockheed Martin Warns of Delays in Patriot Missile Deliveries Amid Global Demand Surge
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Lockheed Martin is unable to guarantee allies specific delivery timelines for Patriot air defense interceptor missiles amid mounting global demand and supply chain pressures, a senior company executive has said, according to Financial Times on June 11.
Brian Dunn, vice-president for strategy and business development in the company’s missiles and fire control division, said the firm is working to expand production of PAC-3 interceptors, while acknowledging ongoing constraints affecting supply.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
Speaking at the ILA Berlin Air Show, Dunn delivered a cautionary message to US allies operating Patriot systems, including Germany, Japan, Poland, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
While noting that increased production capacity would help meet multiple user requirements more quickly, he stressed that allocation decisions are outside the company’s control.
“We do not control what the allocation of those missiles is going to be. We can’t tell anybody where you’re going to be on that priority list,” Dunn stated. “Obviously there’s a lot of rhetoric coming right now from the Department of War . . . about how they’re going to reorder, reorganise, who’s going to get missiles first. We don’t control any of that.”
Separately, Paula Hartley, who leads Lockheed Martin’s missile division, said the company is increasingly encountering scepticism from foreign governments during engagements, as concerns grow over delivery delays and supply shortages.
“They get frustrated that sometimes there are delays and unavailability of products, and sometimes there are frustrations with the government. I appreciate the frustration . . . We just continue to slog through to make sure that we can deliver on commitments,” she said.
The warning from Lockheed Martin comes amid renewed European interest in alternative air defense solutions, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to support the development of a European alternative to the US-made Patriot system.
According to The Guardian on June 9, Zelenskyy said the three countries had already agreed to help strengthen Ukraine’s defences against ballistic missile threats following talks in London on June 7 with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The discussions focused on countering Russian ballistic missile attacks and addressing shortages of interceptor missiles capable of engaging such threats.
The Patriot system remains one of the few Western platforms capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, particularly when equipped with PAC-3 MSE interceptors. Zelenskyy noted that each interceptor costs around $4 million, while Ukrainian stocks are increasingly strained due to ongoing Russian missile strikes.
He proposed that the UK, France, and Germany pool industrial and financial resources to develop a European-controlled interceptor programme, reducing reliance on US production. In exchange, Ukraine is prepared to share operational experience gained during more than four years of large-scale warfare.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian defense companies are working on domestic alternatives. Manufacturer Fire Point has recently released footage of tests of its FP-7.X interceptor missile and says it is developing a full air defense system capable of engaging ballistic targets by 2027.
Co-founder and chief designer Denis Shtilyerman said the company is aiming to bring the cost of each interceptor below $1 million. He added that intercepting a single ballistic missile often requires multiple Patriot interceptors, substantially increasing the cost of each engagement.
Discuss this article:
-29a1a43aba23f9bb779a1ac8b98d2121.jpeg "Photo of Illia Kabachynskyi")
-3bf0833be2dc13c7f849e73db3b23ff6.png "The newly codified NEO-1 robotic hardware-software complex deployed in the field. (Source: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine)")
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-605be766de04ba3d21b67fb76a76786a.jpg "Joseph Place")