On August 9, 2025, the world finds itself in the midst of a missile production boom unlike anything seen before. American defense companies, from industry giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to Boeing, are churning out Patriot interceptor missiles at record rates. But despite this surge, the demand for these highly sought-after air defense systems is so intense that Western nations still worry it might not be enough to meet their needs.
Why this sudden scramble for Patriots? The answer lies in a complex web of global conflicts, mounting geopolitical tensions, and a dawning realization that the risk of a major war with a peer adversary—namely Russia or China—is no longer the stuff of distant nightmares. According to Business Insider, Western countries are watching Russia and China with increasing wariness, concluding that robust air defenses are not just desirable, but absolutely essential.
The Patriot system, widely considered one of the world’s premier air defense tools, is made up of radar and control systems, launcher stations, and interceptor missiles. It can detect and intercept a range of threats—ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and even aircraft. This versatility has made it a backbone of Western and allied air defense. Yet, as conflicts rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as Western Europe wakes up to the need to revitalize its depleted air defenses, the pressure on manufacturers has never been greater.
Lockheed Martin, which produces the Patriot’s PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles, has seen its annual output target soar. Just a few years ago, the company was producing 350 interceptors a year. In 2024, that number hit a record-breaking 500, and in 2025, it’s expected to top 600 for the first time. The US Army has awarded contracts to push that number to 650 annually, with a “significant increase” projected by 2027. Raytheon, responsible for the system’s radars and launchers, is boosting production of the PAC-2 and plans to increase its Patriot GEM-T interceptor output by 150% by 2028. Meanwhile, Boeing is ramping up production of the critical PAC-3 missile seekers, the high-tech components that allow the system to identify and track incoming threats.
All told, global annual production of Patriot missiles sits somewhere between 850 and 880 in 2025, according to air defense expert Fabian Hoffman of the University of Oslo. That figure could reach 1,130 by 2027. But here’s the rub: Russia, just one of the West’s adversaries, is estimated to be producing between 840 and 1,020 of its own advanced missiles, including the 9M723 Iskander and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, each year. And those are just two models in a vast and growing arsenal.
This math is worrying. As Hoffman points out, air defenders typically need to fire two or three interceptors to reliably take out a single incoming missile. That means even if the West manages to outpace Russia in annual production, the stockpile math still doesn’t add up in its favor. “This will not solve Europe’s problems,” Hoffman told Business Insider.
The strain is showing. In Ukraine, Russian missile barrages have put the country’s Patriot batteries under relentless stress, leaving Kyiv constantly on the hunt for more ammunition. Iranian missile threats have tested Patriot systems in the Middle East. And as American and European stockpiles dwindle, the challenge of balancing immediate battlefield needs with long-term preparedness becomes ever more acute.
“Lockheed Martin recognizes the critical need for PAC-3 MSE, and we’re working closely with the US Army and suppliers to increase our production rate to meet the worldwide demand,” said Brian Kubik, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our robust infrastructure and supply chain provide a strong foundation for increasing production,” he explained. The company is “taking proactive steps and making internal investments to help support our suppliers, accelerate delivery, and decrease production roadblocks.”
Raytheon echoes this sense of urgency. “It’s more important than ever to co-produce, co-develop, and collaborate to get the best capabilities to the field quickly,” the company told Business Insider. Raytheon has entered new partnerships, increased its staff, and committed nearly $1 billion to secure critical materials and ramp up manufacturing for Patriot radars. By the end of 2025, Raytheon expects to accelerate delivery times for Patriot radars by 25%.
Yet, ramping up production is far from simple. As Thomas Laliberty, Raytheon’s president of land and air defense systems, put it, “it takes us 12 months to build a Patriot radar, but it takes us 24 months to get all the parts.” Meeting global demand often means dipping into existing stockpiles, which are already under strain.
Recent events have exposed just how fragile those stockpiles can be. In early July 2025, the Pentagon abruptly paused shipments of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine amid concerns about US readiness, a move that was later reversed—though with new terms shifting some burden onto European allies. The Pentagon rejected a report from The Guardian claiming that the US has only 25% of the Patriot interceptors it needs. “The US military has what it needs to fight and win any mission, anywhere, anytime,” said Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Bryon McGarry. Still, other officials have admitted to strains. US Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of Indo-Pacific Command, remarked that ongoing conflicts are “eating into the US stockpile,” and to say otherwise “would be dishonest.”
Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US was short on Patriot interceptors, according to retired Army colonel David Shank. The war has only exacerbated this longstanding problem, and the US Army is now aiming to quadruple its interceptor purchases—from 3,376 to a staggering 13,773—backed by a $1.3 billion investment.
Meanwhile, the ripple effects are being felt far and wide. Ukraine, desperate for more Patriots to protect its cities and infrastructure, recently secured a deal with Germany for additional systems—but only on the condition that the US replaces them within six to eight months. There just isn’t enough slack in the system to go around, and the competing needs of 19 Patriot operator nations worldwide make the situation even more complex.
NATO, too, is taking notice. Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for a fivefold increase in air defense capabilities, supported by a push to spend 5% of GDP on defense. “We see Russia’s deadly terror from the skies over Ukraine every day, and we must be able to defend ourselves from such attacks,” Rutte said, underscoring the urgency of the alliance’s new priorities.
As the world’s major powers ramp up both production and rhetoric, the race for air defense supremacy is clearly on. Whether the West can keep pace with surging demand—and whether that will be enough to deter or defend against future threats—remains an open question. What is certain is that, for now, the scramble to build, deploy, and stockpile Patriot missiles is reshaping the global security landscape in ways that will be felt for years to come.
