Poland has offered to host the potential production of PAC-3 interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems on its territory, intended to meet Ukraine’s needs. Deputy Minister of National Defence Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarniecka stated that Warsaw regards Poland as a safer location, provided the US grants Ukraine the relevant licences and the project goes ahead.
Briefly about the main points
- Poland is offering a production site for PAC-3 interceptors to assist Ukraine.
- The initiative involves trilateral cooperation between the US, Ukraine and Poland.
- Zelenskyy announced Trump’s decision regarding licences for Patriot missiles.
- Warsaw is holding separate discussions with the US regarding a service centre and its own production facilities.
- The location of the plant, the timetable, the investment and production volumes have not yet been determined.
Poland is offering a safer location for the PAC-3 interceptors
The Polish initiative relates primarily to interceptor missiles PAC-3, which are used in systems Patriot, rather than the full-scale production of the entire anti-aircraft missile system. Povkovyak-Charnetska spoke about the format of cooperation between the US, Ukraine and Poland: production could be tailored to Ukrainian requirements, but physically located in a more secure location.
According to the Polish official, if a decision is taken to build a facility for Ukraine, Warsaw is offering its territory. The Polish option could combine Ukraine’s need for interceptors with the deployment of such capabilities within the country NATO.
The debate intensified following a meeting with the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky with the President of the United States Donald Trump in New York. Zelenskyy stated that Trump had informed him of a «final decision» regarding the granting of licences to Ukraine to manufacture missiles for the Patriot system. The White House did not disclose the terms of this decision separately.
On 22 September, the Office of the President reported that Ukrainian and American teams are continuing to work on launching the production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine. Kyiv regards localisation as one way of increasing the supply of missiles needed to intercept Russian ballistic targets.
Warsaw is holding separate talks with the US regarding the PAC-3
Sobkovyak-Charnetska She emphasised that Poland’s negotiations regarding the Patriot system are not dependent on a potential Ukrainian project. According to her, US representatives have assured Warsaw that any authorisation granted to Ukraine would not preclude Poland’s plans to establish a service centre and move towards domestic production.
In May, Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Cezary Tomczyk, announced that the US State Department had given its preliminary approval for the production of PAC-3 MSE the Polish defence industry. In August, the Polish Ministry of Defence reported that it was in discussions with the US regarding the joint production and maintenance of PAC-3 systems in selected European countries, potentially including Poland.
The Polish company WZE is preparing to supply trajectory control systems for the PAC-3 MSE to the US in 2027, according to Lockheed Martin. This forms part of the component production chain and does not confirm that the interceptors will be manufactured in Poland from start to finish.
Patriot remains one of Ukraine’s key systems for defence against Russian ballistic missiles. The practical implementation of the Polish scenario will depend on the finalisation of licences and specific agreements between the parties.
