---
title: "Berlin Secures the Right to Assemble PAC-3 Missiles in Europe: Pistorius and Hegseth Sign Framework Agreement"
description: "German Defense Minister Pistorius announced the signing with the US of a framework agreement on the joint production of weapons systems in Europe, including PAC-3 missiles for Patriot. Formal authorization has not yet been obtained, but Berlin views this as a key step toward reducing dependence on US supplies."
date: 2026-09-23T13:34:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/germany-pac3-patriot-europe-production
tags: [germany, patriot, pac-3, raytheon, pistorius, hegseth, europe-defense, tomahawk, ukraine]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Berlin Secures the Right to Assemble PAC-3 Missiles in Europe: Pistorius and Hegseth Sign Framework Agreement

![Boris Pistorius at a briefing at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense amid talks on a framework agreement for PAC-3 missile production in Europe](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/germaniya-pac3-patriot-europe-proizvodstvo/germaniya-pac3-patriot-europe-proizvodstvo-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Pistorius and Hegseth signed a statement of intent on the joint production of US weapons systems in Europe
- PAC-3 fall under the agreement "in broad terms," but formal authorization requires coordination with the Pentagon, the White House, and Raytheon
- Germany is simultaneously seeking a license to produce Tomahawk missiles on its own territory
- On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, progress was recorded on the Ukrainian license to produce missiles for Patriot

Germany has stepped up diplomatic pressure on Washington to obtain permission to localize the production of PAC-3 interceptor missiles — a key component of the Patriot air defense system. This was stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, commenting on the outcome of his meeting with his American counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington. According to Pistorius, Berlin has "made it clear" that it is ready to help meet the enormous demand for US air defense systems by establishing its own production lines in Europe and, above all, in Germany. The minister's statement came against the backdrop of a growing shortage of interceptors, which are being consumed in huge quantities during the fighting in Ukraine.

### Framework Agreement and Its Limits

During the same meeting, Pistorius and Hegseth signed a statement of intent concerning the joint production of US weapons systems on European territory. Pistorius clarified that PAC-3 missiles fall under the scope of this document "in broad terms." However, he explicitly noted that this does not mean an automatic authorization for assembly: further multilateral negotiations are required. The minister named three key obstacles — the issue of intellectual property, coordination with the Pentagon and the White House, and the position of the manufacturer itself, Raytheon. Pistorius expressed hope for a positive outcome but did not specify any concrete timelines.

### Tomahawk and Strike Capability from German Territory

In addition to the defensive component, Germany is conducting parallel negotiations to obtain a license for the production of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles on its own territory. Berlin has already concluded an agreement with Washington to purchase these missiles, which effectively opens up the possibility of striking Russian targets from German soil. However, as Pistorius notes, there is a "long waiting list" for the supply of this scarce weaponry, and localizing production in Europe would be a logical way to shorten the timelines. Thus, Germany is simultaneously developing both a defensive (PAC-3) and an offensive (Tomahawk) vector of military integration with the US.

### Ukrainian Context: Patriot License and Raytheon's Position

The German negotiations are not taking place in a vacuum. Earlier, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the leaders of Ukraine and the US recorded certain progress on the issue of granting Kyiv a license to produce missiles for the Patriot system. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the US corporation Raytheon is ready for Patriot interceptors to be produced directly in Ukraine. This creates an interesting precedent: if the license is granted to Kyiv, Berlin's argument for "European production" of PAC-3 gains additional weight, as it will involve creating a unified European production ecosystem for US air defense systems.

### Contradictory Data

The statements of the parties contain a significant degree of uncertainty regarding the status of PAC-3 under the signed agreement. On the one hand, Pistorius claims that the interceptors fall under the framework document "in broad terms," which could be interpreted as being close to a decision. On the other hand, he himself emphasizes that "further negotiations" are needed on intellectual property and coordination with the Pentagon, the White House, and Raytheon. In effect, this means that at present there is no formal authorization for PAC-3 production in Europe, and the signed statement of intent is of a framework rather than binding nature. The difference between "falls under in broad terms" and "authorized for production" could amount to months or even years of diplomatic and legal procedures.

### Strategic Significance for European Security

If the negotiations are successful, Germany will become the first European country to obtain the right to mass-produce US interceptors. This will fundamentally change the balance of the EU's defensive capabilities: instead of years-long dependence on US supplies and long waiting lists, European countries will be able to build up their own PAC-3 stockpiles in the shortest possible time. In the context of ongoing fighting and the depletion of air defense arsenals, this is not only a strategic but also a purely operational issue. At the same time, the success of the German initiative will likely open the way for similar programs in other NATO countries, which in the long term could restructure the entire architecture of defense production on the continent.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Pistorius: Germany can meet the shortage of Patriot missiles, US permission is needed](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/pistorius-nimechchina-mozhe-zadovolniti-defitsit-1790169854.html) - Основной источник: цитаты Писториуса, упоминание встречи с Гегсетом, рамочное соглашение, Tomahawk, украинский контекст
- [Germany wants to produce PAC-3 in Europe](https://www.obozrevatel.com/politics-news/germaniya-prizvala-ssha-razreshit-proizvodstvo-raket-dlya-patriot-v-evrope.htm) - Подтверждает намерение Берлина и ссылку на Financial Times
- [Germany wants to produce Patriot missiles in Europe: Berlin calls on the US to grant permission](https://delo.ua/ru/news/germaniya-xocet-proizvodit-rakety-patriot-v-evrope-berlin-prizyvaet-ssa-predostavit-razresenie-473098/) - Сходная подача: призыв к разрешению, контекст дефицита
- [Germany asked the US to allow the production of Patriot missiles on its territory](https://news.am/ru/news/1063479) - Подтверждает факт запроса и территорию производства (Германия)

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Has Germany obtained formal authorization to produce PAC-3?
**A:** No. Only a framework statement of intent has been signed. Pistorius himself clarified that PAC-3 fall under the agreement "in broad terms," and that actual production requires additional negotiations on intellectual property and coordination with the Pentagon, the White House, and Raytheon.

### Q: What are PAC-3 and why does Germany want to produce them?
**A:** PAC-3 are interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system. Germany wants to produce them on its own territory to reduce dependence on US supplies and to rapidly build up air defense stockpiles amid a shortage of interceptors.

### Q: What is the connection between the German negotiations and Ukraine?
**A:** On the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the leaders of Ukraine and the US made progress on the issue of a license to produce missiles for Patriot in Ukraine. According to Zelensky, Raytheon is ready for such production. This creates a precedent and strengthens Berlin's argument for the need for a European production ecosystem.

### Q: What about the Tomahawk missiles?
**A:** Germany has concluded an agreement with the US to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles, which allows strikes on Russia from German territory. However, there is a long waiting list for deliveries, so Berlin is seeking the right to produce them under license on its own territory.