U.S. and German Defense Ministers Pete Hegseth and Boris Pistorius plan to discuss in Washington deepening cooperation between the American and European defense industries. An agreement is expected to be signed that could pave the way for European companies to produce certain U.S. weapons systems under license, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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The talks are taking place against the backdrop of Europe’s desire to replenish its limited stocks of air defense missiles and long-range weapons more quickly.
If we unite our forces even more closely, we will be able to deliver faster and in greater quantities the systems that we and our NATO partners urgently need for deterrence and defense
Germany wants to produce PAC-3 and Tomahawk missiles
Germany already produces fuselage sections for American F-35 fighter jets and PAC-2 guided missiles for Patriot systems. Berlin is now seeking U.S. permission to produce more advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles in Europe, as well as Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles.
At the same time, U.S. manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, which is part of RTX, have so far shown no significant interest in transferring the relevant licenses to European companies.
Earlier this year, Germany agreed to purchase American Tomahawks, but the number of missiles and their delivery timeline are still being discussed. At the same time, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France are working on their own high-precision long-range systems amid the missile threat from Russia.
Pistorius also plans to discuss with Hegseth the future of transatlantic cooperation within NATO and strengthening the European component of the Alliance. The German minister emphasized that Berlin has the industrial capacity, personnel, and technology to expand weapons production.