U.S. Army personnel load Patriot launchers during a training exercise in Poland in March 2015. Archive photograph, not the proposed Ukraine sale or a current delivery. Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Randall Jackson / 10th AAMDC / U.S. Army. Public domain.
The State Department has approved a possible $2.1 billion sale of 500 advanced Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine, with the purchase funded entirely by partners and allies rather than the United States.
The October 30 congressional notification covers Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or PAC-3 MSE, interceptors, spare parts and related logistics and program support.
Ukraine would pay using donations from Canada, Germany and Norway through the JUMPSTART program, together with national funds financed by the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan, the department said. “No U.S. funds are involved in this sale,” it stated.
The proposed sale is intended to sustain existing Patriot operations and improve Ukraine’s ability to defend against aerial threats. The notification identifies Lockheed Martin as the principal contractor and says no additional U.S. government or contractor representatives would need to be assigned to Ukraine.
The approval is for a possible sale, not an announcement that the missiles have been delivered. The notification gives no delivery timetable. The department said it was not aware of an offset agreement, which would be negotiated between the purchaser and contractor.
In its assessment, the department said the proposed sale would have no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
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