Germany wants PAC-3 missile production in Europe, Pistorius says
BERLIN — Germany is keen for one of the main missiles used by the U.S.-made Patriot air-defense system to be produced in Europe, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday, as demand for the weapons surges across NATO and in Ukraine.
“That is our wish,” Pistorius told reporters outside a meeting of the Bundestag’s defense committee, responding to a question from POLITICO about whether he wanted a PAC-3 production line established in the country.
“It is about PAC-3, it is about PAC-2 GEM-T, and theoretically it could also be about Patriot systems, but that is not a decision we can make. We have an offer,” he said.
PAC-3 and PAC-2 GEM-T are interceptor missiles fired by Patriot air-defense batteries to destroy incoming threats. Patriot has become crucial since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the system is used to protect cities and critical infrastructure from Russian ballistic missile attacks.
The German proposal follows Pistorius’ trip to Washington last week, where he met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and signed a statement of intent aimed at expanding defense-industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Pistorius said Berlin had offered to help meet rising demand for American weapons by bringing more production to Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
“The idea is to help meet the enormous demand that has emerged for this and other American systems by setting up production lines in Europe and in Germany,” he said.
Any deal would still require U.S. government approval and agreement from the companies involved, including over access to closely guarded American intellectual property.
Germany already produces PAC-2 GEM-T interceptors through COMLOG, a joint venture between MBDA Germany and U.S. company Raytheon. The PAC-3 MSE, another key missile for the Patriot system, is currently made by Lockheed Martin in the United States.
That distinction matters because Patriot missiles are in short supply. The U.S. has burned through hundreds in its war against Iran and European governments are trying to replenish their own stocks while continuing to supply Ukraine, creating competition for weapons that manufacturers cannot quickly replace.
U.S. troop shifts
Pistorius also used Wednesday’s appearance to spell out what Berlin expects from Washington as the Trump administration reviews the future U.S. military presence in Europe.
Asked by POLITICO about the Pentagon’s Force Posture Review, Pistorius said Germany expects more detail by the end of this year.
“I spoke about it with my colleague Hegseth at the Pentagon, and we assume that we will receive further details toward the end of the year,” he said.
The review examines where U.S. troops and military capabilities should be stationed around the world. European governments are watching closely because some forces currently based on the continent could be moved elsewhere, including to the Indo-Pacific.
The Trump administration has also been pressing European allies to take on more responsibility for their own defense, raising questions about how quickly Europe could replace U.S. capabilities if Washington reduces its presence.
Pistorius said Germany accepts that some capabilities could be shifted, but warned against withdrawals happening faster than European allies can fill the gaps.
“We understand that certain capabilities could be withdrawn in order to use them elsewhere, for example in the Indo-Pacific. But we need a roadmap,” Pistorius said.
“The withdrawal of certain American capabilities must not happen in a way that creates dangerous capability gaps, because we cannot procure or fill them in the same timeframe,” he said.
