Nine European countries on Monday agreed to back an ambitious Ukrainian effort to develop a domestic missile defense system that, if successful, would reduce reliance on U.S. technology.
Ukraine depends on the United States for PAC-2 and PAC-3 Patriot interceptors to take down incoming Russian missiles. But the U.S. and its allies fired hundreds of them in the early phase of the war against Iran, straining supplies. During recent Russian attacks, Ukraine has run dangerously low on interceptors and has been unable to shoot down ballistic missiles.
As part of a new “purely defensive Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition,” Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom will back the Ukraine-led Project Freyja missile defense system being developed by missile-maker Fire Point.
It is designed to integrate with existing NATO-standard radars, command posts and data links from all the participating countries rather than acting as a standalone national system. The goal is to deliver a cheaper, mass-produced alternative to the Patriot PAC-3.
They can no longer rely on US industrial plant that is lacking in weapon production.