AP: Europe faces "beyond critical" Patriot missile shortage

Europe is facing a "beyond critical" shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, with Ukraine the hardest hit. US officials attribute the crisis to President Donald Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran.

Source: Associated Press, with reference to a US Defense Department representative in Europe and a NATO representative, both speaking on condition of anonymity

Details: AP's sources expressed concern about NATO countries' vulnerability to a potential Russian attack.

The US Defense Department representative noted that the greatest concern is the shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, which can shoot down Russian ballistic missiles.

The NATO representative confirmed that the Patriot missile stockpiles held by American and NATO forces in Europe are insufficient.

The Pentagon source said that in the event of a Russian missile strike on, for example, a military headquarters or a power plant, NATO could find itself in a situation similar to Ukraine's, which is experiencing an acute Patriot shortage, and would be forced to "to take punch after punch in the mouth".

According to the American official, US forces in Europe "definitely" do not have enough Patriot systems to stop any possible sustained missile attack, and would have "very limited" capabilities to defend against a single missile strike or a Russian missile that has gone off course.

AP notes that the problem arose as a result of Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran.

American missile stockpiles in Europe were moved to the Middle East, where the US and its Gulf allies have launched a significant number of interceptors, including Patriot missiles, to neutralise Iranian drones and missiles.

The Patriot missile shortage is most acutely felt in Ukraine.

According to the sources, US armed forces in Europe are also facing a critical shortage of ATACMS, but the overall ammunition situation in Europe is less critical than for air defence.

However, a senior NATO military spokesperson, US Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, said it is "simply not the case" that there is a Patriot missile shortage in Europe.

He asserted that NATO is capable of "blocking punches" and has sufficient air defence ammunition at its disposal to protect itself and help Ukraine.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated on Thursday that claims of a US ammunition deficit are "false": "We have everything required to strike at the time and place of the President's choosing. Across multiple combatant commands, we have already executed successful operations while maintaining a deep, ready arsenal to defend our people and our interests".

One alternative to the Patriot system could be the French-Italian SAMP/T NG air defence system. France has promised to speed up the delivery of this system – an upgraded version of the current SAMP/T which the manufacturer says is more effective against ballistic missiles – to Ukraine.

However, the new version has not yet been combat-tested, and the current SAMP/T version has a shorter range than the Patriot.

Since the start of its war with Iran, the US has reportedly used 65% of its Patriot missiles – about 1,500 of the 2,330 interceptors at the country's disposal.

Around 600 missiles, including those destined for Europe, are expected to be produced this year, with plans to reach a production rate of 2,000 Patriot missiles per year by 2030.

NATO says the first Patriot missile factory in Europe is set to open in Germany in September, with deliveries likely to begin early next year.

The first deliveries are to go to countries that have already placed orders, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, the US Defense Department representative said.

Background:

• On 8 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has an agreement with the US on a monthly allocation of Patriot system missiles, but the quantity is insufficient for Ukraine's air defence needs.
• American defence companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin fear that Ukraine, if granted a licence, could improve Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and produce them faster and significantly cheaper than the US.

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