Why Trump Wants Ukraine to Build Patriot Air Defence Systems When He Can Simply Export
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US Patriot Licence to Ukraine: Speaking on the sidelines of NATO summit in Turkey, US President Donald J Trump said America is planning to allow building Patriot air defense overseas so Ukraine could it against Russia.
New Delhi, July 8: US President Donald J Trump on Wednesday said he is planning to grant the required licence to allow the manufacturing of American Patriot air defence systems overseas, which Ukraine could use to defend itself against Russia. The commitment is crucial for war-torn Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been seeking support from its ally to strengthen its skies against Russia.
Trump made the announcement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey while meeting Zelenskyy in person. He said, "The Air Force is gone. Everything's gone. But one of the things I think we're going to be talking about today, just a little birdie told me this, is the fact that we'll give them the right to make Patriots. We'll show them how to do it. It's very complex, actually, but you'll figure out the complexity quickly."
Ukraine is entering its fifth year of war with Russia, with no end to the conflict in sight. Amid allegations of widespread human rights violations and abuses, people in the affected areas continue to live in damaged homes with little or no access to food.
"And we're talking about that. The company that makes them, which is building now four plants, all of our companies will be able to do this in two to three months. If you order a Patriot now, you have to wait a long time for them. Same thing with Tomahawks. We have a lot of certain equipment, but they call it the elite equipment, and you don't need elite equipment necessarily for a war," Trump said.
Bypassing Supply Chains to Protect Ukraine
Once the licence is issued, Ukraine will be able to manufacture Patriot systems domestically, reducing the time required for procurement and deployment.
"So one of the things we're going to be talking about is we're going to give a licence to you to make Patriots. That's pretty cool, right? This way you can't complain that we're not giving them enough. Make them yourself. We haven't informed the company of that yet, but that'll work out all right. I'm sure they'll be thrilled," he added.
What Is the Patriot Air Defence System?
The Patriot system and its interceptor missiles are both expensive and in limited supply. On December 21, 2022, the US Department of Defense (DOD) announced that it would provide a Patriot battery to Ukraine as part of a broader USD 1.85 billion security assistance package. Since then, the United States has supplied additional Patriot systems and interceptor missiles to Ukraine.
The Patriot is the US Army's most advanced air defence system. It is capable of defeating both high-performance aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles, and is the only operational US air defence system capable of intercepting incoming missiles. A Patriot battery, the basic firing unit, consists of about 90 soldiers, although only three personnel in the engagement control station are required to operate it during combat. Raytheon Technologies manufactures the Patriot radar and ground systems, while Lockheed Martin manufactures the interceptor missiles.
'Will Go to Ukraine at the Right Time'
Responding to a reporter's question at the NATO summit, Trump said he would visit Ukraine when the time was right.
"I would, yeah. I'd rather have the war be over. I'm not sure Secret Service would be thrilled. Putin doesn't stop war. I think the people are in trouble. And, I mean, like Kyiv, it would be nice to get it before any more damage is done, to be honest. This is such a beautiful city, right? And, yeah, I would go to Ukraine at the right time," he said.
