Germany’s new MBDA facility to double Patriot missile production

European missile manufacturer MBDA has confirmed it possesses the technical expertise to produce Patriot missile launchers in Germany and could boost production of Patriot air defence missiles at a new Bavarian facility if orders exceed “a certain threshold,” the managing director of its German unit told Reuters.

Patriot, developed by U.S. defence giant Raytheon, remains one of the world’s most advanced air defence systems, despite being in service since the 1980s. The system has seen extensive use in Ukraine to counter Russian missile and drone attacks, while Western states have been scrambling to secure their own stockpiles amid shortages of both missiles and launchers.

In 2024, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain signed a 5.1 billion euro ($5.98 billion) contract with a Raytheon-MBDA joint venture to acquire up to 1,000 missiles and lay the groundwork for Europe’s first Patriot production plant. Construction of the new facility in southern Germany is expected to double the global production capacity for PAC-2 missiles, optimised for intercepting tactical ballistic threats.

“We are on schedule. We plan to start production at the end of 2026, ensuring first deliveries at the beginning of 2027,” Thomas Gottschild, Managing Director of MBDA Deutschland, said in an interview. He did not disclose the plant’s full production capacity for security reasons but confirmed it could accommodate additional orders. “Should orders surpass a certain threshold, we are ready to invest in expanding production capacity,” he added.

Regarding the possibility of manufacturing Patriot launchers, Gottschild emphasised that MBDA has the technical know-how, having previously overseen launcher maintenance. “We can do it. It’s a matter of industrial cooperation with Raytheon and the requirements of our customer, the Bundeswehr, or other clients requesting launcher production,” he said.

Gottschild also addressed MBDA’s potential role in the Anglo-German “deep precision strike” missile program, designed to hit targets beyond 2,000 km (1,242 miles). While no timeline has been provided, he stressed the importance of initiating development promptly to achieve concrete results.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has highlighted Europe’s dependence on U.S.-made long-range missiles, fueling initiatives to develop weapons capable of striking command posts and missile launchers deep behind enemy lines.

In addition to long-range systems, MBDA is developing smaller missiles to counter low- and slow-flying threats, including Russian drones that breached Polish airspace in mid-September. “We hope to sign the development contract for the DefendAir missile with the German government by the end of the year, with first deliveries expected within a few years,” Gottschild said.

The DefendAir missile, designed to engage targets at ranges exceeding five kilometres, is based on MBDA technology from the Enforcer infantry system and is intended to complement the 30 mm gun in Rheinmetall’s Skyranger short-range air defence system.

By Tamilla Hasanova