Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

During the NATO summit in Ankara, Germany and the United States reached agreements to expand the production of AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles and explore opportunities for manufacturing them in Europe. The countries also agreed to establish a European maintenance and repair center for PAC-3 missiles used by the Patriot air defense system, AzerNEWS reports.

The announcement was made by the German Ministry of Defense, which emphasized that the cooperation aims to increase missile production capacity, improve supply chains, and ensure faster deliveries to European and international partners.

The joint production of AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles will involve German and European defense companies working together with the U.S. defense company Raytheon. Officials say the project is intended to help meet growing demand for advanced air defense technologies and reduce dependence on limited production facilities.

Germany and the United States also signed a declaration on creating a European center for the maintenance and repair of PAC-3 interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system. According to German officials, the facility will help reduce repair times, improve missile readiness, and strengthen NATO’s overall air defense capabilities.

The PAC-3 missile is considered one of the most advanced interceptors currently used against ballistic missile threats and other high-speed targets. Each missile costs approximately $5 million, and production is currently concentrated mainly in the United States and Japan.

The AIM-120 AMRAAM is an advanced all-weather air-to-air missile capable of engaging targets beyond visual range. It is widely used by modern fighter aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, and F-35, and remains one of the main air combat weapons among NATO members.

In addition to missile cooperation, Germany and the U.S. agreed to strengthen collaboration in space and maritime security. A memorandum was signed on developing a multinational space architecture designed to improve coordination and information sharing among NATO partners.

The agreements reflect NATO’s broader effort to modernize its defense infrastructure, increase production capacity, and adapt to new security challenges, including the growing importance of missile defense and space-based technologies.