Ukraine can develop missile production not only in conjunction with the United States, said Valentyn Badrak, director of the Center for Army Studies, Conversion and Disarmament, in an article for LIGA.net.
The occasion was prompted by a publication in The Atlantic: a Republican representative in the U.S. Congress stated that American manufacturers fear that granting Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missiles could create competition for their business in the long term.
Against this backdrop, Badrak pointed to "maximum missile rapprochement" with the United Kingdom, France and Germany — without abandoning other partners.
Who is responsible for what
The analyst outlined the distribution of directions:
- anti-ballistic air defense missile system — jointly with France and Italy;
- strike cruise missiles — with the pan-European company MBDA;
- ballistic capabilities — with Europe, with particular emphasis on the United Kingdom.
"Missiles are precisely the weapon with which you can deter an enemy for years and decades," Badrak emphasized.
Weak point — coordination
Ukraine currently has no specific person responsible for implementing the missile program, the expert noted. Ballistic tests were postponed twice in the summer of 2026.
According to the analyst, professional circles discuss that the FP-9 ballistics from Fire Point is essentially a technological solution for a missile for the Sapsan operational-tactical missile system, which is being developed by the state-owned design bureau Pivdenne — meaning the developments may overlap.
Badrak called insufficient the bet exclusively on strengthening air defense through the supply of Patriot interceptors from partner stockpiles. Instead, the latest American Barracuda-500M missile, in his view, is capable of helping destroy Russia's ballistic capabilities.
If cooperation with Britain, France and MBDA evolves into joint production by the end of 2026, rather than remaining at the level of statements — Ukraine will gain its first real parallel channel of missile capabilities, independent of Washington's decisions.
