Earlier, the American leader presented the secret transfer of the most modern American missile blueprints to Kyiv as a fairly simple matter.
Read more When stories continue: it all started with Ugnė
“We will give you a license to produce the Patriot,” Trump was quoted as saying to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara (Turkey) in July in the corridors.
Trump then claimed that Ukrainian factories would be able to “quite quickly” start producing their own missiles.
At least that’s what he thought, emphasizes The Telegraph.
However, since then he has withdrawn his promise. Recently, he stated that “it is difficult to transfer such technology… and, you know, there are cases when you transfer technology, and those people later may turn against you.”
Fears that secret information will end up in Moscow if transferred to Ukraine
According to the publication, his change of position was caused by increasingly heated discussions about whether it is worth transferring technologies that, aides and experts fear, could end up in Moscow’s hands.
At the center of Kyiv’s effort to obtain Patriot missiles is the radar produced by Boeing in Alabama. This technology is so advanced that Washington restricts its export even to its closest allies, writes The Telegraph.
The missile’s “eyes and ears”
The radar, known as the active PAC-3 Ka-Band Active Radar Seeker, is the interceptor missile’s “eyes and ears.” It determines the target’s location in the last seconds of flight and guides the interceptor missile for a direct collision with it.
The article emphasizes that refusal to provide Ukraine access to this technology could become a matter of its survival.
The US carefully controls the technical blueprints required for Patriot production and rarely allows manufacturing outside its borders. Germany and Japan are the only countries licensed to produce these missiles themselves. However, Washington did not allow Japan to produce the PAC-3 Ka-Band radar.
The Telegraph also notes that it took three years for the Japanese military to successfully test the PAC-3 missile. Analysts believe Ukraine may face similar timelines.
Read more Near Kaunas Airport – an unusual sight: many police crews
What America should transfer
Allowing Ukraine to produce its own missiles means that not only equipment but also blueprints, software, and specialized knowledge would need to be transferred.
A high-ranking source in the UK government, well acquainted with the US decision-making process, indicated that these obstacles are the main reasons for the delay.
The United States would also need to identify every Ukrainian factory, every employee, and subcontractor who would have access to this technology.
And most importantly – they would need guarantees that these secrets will not be stolen or passed on to the Russians, the newspaper emphasizes.
Additionally, a source close to the US president reported that the administration is aware of cases where weapons transferred to Ukraine by allies ended up on the European black market.
World arms giants scared of Ukraine
15min reminds that on Monday US media reported that global defense giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin fear competition from Ukrainian Patriots.
US manufacturers producing Patriot air defense system missiles fear that Ukraine could improve them, produce them faster and cheaper if it were granted a license to manufacture these weapons, says The Atlantic magazine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday on the social network X that Trump finally agreed to licenses for Kyiv to develop these technologies. Although the White House has not yet confirmed this, such a decision would signify a significant change in position.
For the first time, Trump spoke about Kyiv receiving a license to produce missiles for this highly important air defense system interceptor at the NATO summit in early July. Later, he began to doubt, explaining that these munitions are needed by the United States for its own purposes.
