U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) on July 8 highlighted his recent push to expand Patriot missile production for Ukraine after President Donald Trump announced the United States will grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missiles within its own borders.
Rep. Turner said the president’s decision follows a June 4 letter he sent to Trump supporting a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for additional Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors and urging the administration to expand allied production capacity through licensed manufacturing.
Speaking alongside Zelenskyy during the NATO Summit in Ankara, Trump announced the new policy, saying, “We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool.”
In his June 4 letter, Rep. Turner wrote that Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s escalating missile campaign depends on maintaining a steady supply of Patriot interceptors.
“Ukraine has shown extraordinary adaptability in countering Russia’s evolving aerial threats, but it does not have the domestic production capacity to replace the high-end interceptors required to defeat Russia’s most advanced missile systems,” the congressman wrote the president.
He added that the Patriot system, and particularly the PAC-3 interceptor, has proven to be one of the most effective capabilities available to Ukraine against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
“As Russia increases the scale and frequency of these strikes, Ukraine’s ability to defend its population and critical infrastructure depends on a reliable and sustained supply of interceptors,” wrote Rep. Turner.
The lawmaker also told the president that growing global demand for PAC-3 interceptors means the U.S. should expand production beyond its own industrial base, and he endorsed Zelenskyy’s request to establish European-based PAC-3 manufacturing through licensed production or other allied co-production arrangements, arguing that such an effort would strengthen NATO’s defense industrial base while preserving more U.S.-made interceptors for American military needs.
In his letter, Rep. Turner also asked that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provide Congress with updates on current and projected PAC-3 production capacity, interceptor allocation requirements across multiple regions, the feasibility of establishing European production, barriers to allied co-production, and any additional congressional action needed to accelerate missile production.
“The United States must not allow our adversaries to win a war of missile production and attrition,” he wrote. “Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are watching whether America and its allies can produce the critical munitions required for sustained deterrence and defense.”
According to the congressman’s office, Ukraine continues to face a critical shortage of air defense interceptors as Russia intensifies ballistic missile attacks, including recent strikes on Kyiv. The office said domestic Patriot missile production would strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities and critical infrastructure against continued Russian attacks.
Rep. Turner’s staff said the congressman will continue advocating for measures to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities against Russian aggression.