Ukraine expands domestic arms production amid Patriot delays

Ukraine is expanding its domestic arms manufacturing to address critical air defense shortages and long-range strike needs amid ongoing Russian ballistic missile attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that securing United States licenses and establishing localized production of Patriot air defense systems will take from one to several years due to bureaucratic procedures.

To mitigate this multi-year window of vulnerability, Ukrainian defense developers are advancing alternative domestic systems. Two local companies are currently engineering ballistic missiles, though mass production still faces technological hurdles. Additionally, Ukrainian forces are adopting the domestically tested "Equalizer" glide bomb module. Developed by DG Industry and the Brave1 cluster, the kit converts standard unguided aviation bombs into precision-guided munitions compatible with both Soviet-era jets and Western aircraft like the F-16.

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