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Germany has offered to establish production lines in Europe for Patriot interceptor missiles, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday, according to remarks reported after a Bundestag defence committee session.
Pistorius said he presented the proposal to US officials during a visit to Washington last week and also discussed it with “Raytheon”, a major US defence contractor.
“We made clear that we want to help meet the enormous demand that has emerged for this and other American systems by building production lines in Europe and in Germany,” he said.
Proposal includes PAC-3 and PAC-2 GEM-T missiles
Asked which weapons Berlin wanted to produce, Pistorius said the proposal specifically covered PAC-3 and PAC-2 GEM-T interceptors. He added that Patriot systems could theoretically also be included, although that decision was not Germany’s to make.
“We have made the offer,” Pistorius said.
US approval required
Any production line established in Germany or elsewhere in Europe would require approval from the United States, the minister said.
“Ultimately, it is an intellectual property issue. It also depends on whether the Pentagon and the White House, as well as the company, are willing to proceed,” he said.
Pistorius added that the proposal was currently under consideration and that Berlin was hoping for a positive outcome.
