President Donald Trump is considering sending Ukraine an additional Patriot missile air-defense system, according to two U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The move would mark the first time his administration approved a major weapons system for Ukraine beyond what the Biden administration authorized.
Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and recently vowed to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. After a phone call on Thursday, July 3, Trump criticized Putin’s handling of ceasefire talks and resumed paused weapons shipments following pressure from Kyiv and U.S. allies.
The White House has asked the Pentagon for options to send more weapons, including another Patriot battery.
How many Patriot systems does Ukraine currently have?
Ukraine has received three U.S.-provided Patriots, three from Germany and one from a coalition of European countries. However, due to maintenance, not all systems are operational at once. The systems remain Kyiv’s most effective defense against ballistic and cruise missile attacks.
What upgrades have been made to Patriot missiles?
Lockheed Martin recently tested upgraded PAC-3 MSE interceptors with improved software and guidance algorithms to better target drones and cruise missiles. The flight test took place on June 26 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, in coordination with the U.S. Army.
The upgrades, driven in part by Ukraine’s battlefield experience, enhance the system’s ability to intercept stealthy and maneuverable threats such as Shahed drones and Kalibr missiles.
According to Lockheed Martin, the enhancements focused specifically on air-breathing threats (ABTs) — a category that includes drones (UAVs), cruise missiles and aircraft that rely on engines to sustain flight through the atmosphere. These differ from ballistic missiles, which follow a high-arc trajectory and do not need engines after launch. The improvements were made entirely through software updates and new seeker algorithm designs, allowing the Patriot system to adapt quickly without hardware changes.
“We’re continuously evolving PAC-3 to address the increasingly complex threat landscape,” said Brian Kubik, Vice President of PAC-3 Programs at Lockheed Martin. He emphasized that the recent test highlights the PAC-3’s role in protecting critical infrastructure and meeting growing global demand.
Lockheed also reaffirmed that PAC-3 MSE missiles defeat threats through direct body-to-body impact, delivering exponentially more energy than traditional blast-fragmentation methods. This makes them especially effective against high-speed, evasive targets.
