Ukraine expands domestic arms production amid delays in Patriot manufacturing

Ukraine is expanding its domestic defense manufacturing to address air defense shortfalls and reduce reliance on Western military supplies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that establishing local production of Patriot air defense systems under U.S. licenses will take between 12 months and several years due to bureaucratic and regulatory processes.

To manage air defense vulnerabilities caused by repeated Russian ballistic missile attacks, two domestic defense contractors are developing long-range ballistic missiles. Simultaneously, Ukraine's armed forces are procuring the "Equalizer" glide bomb conversion kit, created by DG Industry alongside defense incubator Brave1. The kit transforms conventional unguided bombs into precision munitions suitable for Soviet-designed aircraft, such as the MiG-29 and Su-24, with potential future deployment on Western fighter jets.

Sources: NEXTA, NV, Point, The Insider, Українська правда