MBDA will offer Fortem's DroneHunter interceptors to its air defense customers

Lockheed Martin is considering new industry partners to build PAC-3 Patriot interceptors in Europe, which could also help supply Ukraine, Defense News reported Tuesday. In Germany, the company is weighing Diehl Defence, Jason Reynolds, general manager of Lockheed's integrated air and missile defense division, told the outlet at the Association of the U.S. Army convention. "If we were to go forward with exploring any kind of production in Germany, we would likely do that with a company like Diehl," he said. A Diehl spokesperson confirmed consultations are ongoing, according to Defense News.¹

Germanya company like Diehlcontingent

If we were to go forward with exploring any kind of production in Germany

Ukrainesomething like an ACE rather than an MSEcontingent

depending on industrial capability and parts availability

Lockheed is considering making them in nearby safe countries and quickly ferrying them into Ukraine as needed

The U.S. government has the final say about where sensitive defense products, including Patriot equipment, can be produced outside the United States.

Source: Reported by Defense News, Oct. 13, 2026

Sources

• www.defensenews.com ↗

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The pairing has a paper trail. Reynolds signed a memorandum of understanding with Diehl at the same convention a year earlier to explore expanding the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) supply chain.² German leaders have offered to host PAC-3 production, and Raytheon and MBDA already make the PAC-2 line there, Defense News reported.¹

Reynolds said Lockheed is "absolutely willing to talk to Ukraine," adding that "it might be something like an ACE, as opposed to an MSE, that we would start with." Lockheed announced development of the ACE over the summer, billing it as a cheaper option against relatively simple threats at half the cost of an MSE, Defense News reported. Because a plant inside Ukraine risks Russian attack, the company is considering production in nearby safe countries, the outlet reported.¹

Defense News reports the Air Force says it needs 1,509 combat-coded fighters by 2035. These are jets assigned to combat units. The service sent its force structure report to Congress Oct. 16.¹

Stated annual purchase need72 fighters

Fiscal 2027 request62 fighters

Reconciliation funding would pay for 14 of the requested F-35s.

Reported by Defense News. As of Oct. 21, 2026.

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The goal requires congressional funding and timely deliveries from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, Lt. Gen. David Tabor said, Defense News reports. Tabor is the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for plans and programs.¹

Breaking Defense reports the force structure report itself cites delays tied to F-35 modernization setbacks and F-15EX deliveries postponed by production struggles.²

Breaking Defense reports the requirement reflects moderate risk and uses combat coded total aircraft inventory, including backup and attrition reserve jets. Congress's floor of 1,145 tactical aircraft uses a different measure, primary mission aircraft inventory.²

Defense News reports that Air Force officials have long said the service needs to buy 72 fighters a year. The Air Force's fiscal 2027 request seeks 62. The request counts on $2.34 billion through a reconciliation bill. That would pay for 14 F-35s. If the bill fails, Tabor said, the service could shift money from other programs or push the purchases to 2028.¹

Tabor cautioned that the requirement is likely to change with world events, new requirements and new technology, Defense News reports. It excludes Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Tabor said those aircraft could reduce the fighter requirement in future reports but are not yet changing it.¹