US approves $2.1 billion Patriot missile sale to Ukraine

Oct 30 - The US State Department said on Friday it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion.Ukraine will pay for the defensive interceptor missiles with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway routed through the US JUMPSTART program, along with national funds financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan, the State Department said in a statement.Delayed missile deliveries added to Ukraine's tensions with the US after President Donald Trump announced a diesel deal with Russia and criticised Zelenskiy for Ukraine's unwillingness to stop attacks on Russian refineries.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier this week that Ukraine had been waiting for almost a month for the US to sign off on critical missile supplies, as Russia stepped up attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly called on the US, which supplies missiles purchased by NATO allies under a program known as PURL, to speed up deliveries ahead of winter.Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the sale.The US has supplied large quantities of weapons to allies while also using munitions in its own military operations in Iran, raising concerns about inventories of key air defense and precision-guided weapons.In July, the US Army awarded Lockheed a contract worth up to $58.6 billion to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.Lockheed has said that deal would allow it to follow through on a promise to triple PAC-3 MSE production capacity by the end of 2030 and increase jobs at its Camden, Arkansas, plant by 50%, to about 1,850 from 1,200. Lockheed previously announced Patriot PAC-3 missile interceptor production would go to 2,000 units annually.Pentagon negotiators are pressing contractors to move much faster, with tentative production agreements struck earlier this year at the center of efforts to increase missile output. REUTERS