Germany offers to help produce Patriot interceptors in Europe

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has told U.S. manufacturer Raytheon and the Pentagon that Germany can help produce Patriot air-defense interceptors in Europe, according to a report from Anadolu Agency.

Pistorius described the offer as a response to what he called an "enormous demand" for the missiles, which are used in the Patriot air-defense system to intercept ballistic missiles, aircraft and other airborne threats.

Demand for Patriot interceptors has risen sharply in recent years as European countries bolster air defenses amid the war in Ukraine and broader security concerns on the continent. Ukraine itself has received Patriot systems and interceptors from Western allies to defend against Russian missile and drone strikes, straining global production capacity.

Germany already hosts elements of the Patriot supply chain and has previously supplied its own Patriot batteries to Ukraine. A European production line for interceptors could help ease bottlenecks that have limited how quickly allied nations can replenish stockpiles.

Raytheon, the U.S. defense contractor that manufactures the Patriot missile system, has faced pressure to scale up output as orders from NATO members and other partners increase. It was not immediately clear how quickly a European production arrangement involving Germany could be established or what capacity it might add.