"This is our shame": Hodges offers recommendations on addressing Ukraine's Patriot missile shortage
On August 25, former U.S. Army Forces Europe commander and retired U.S. Major General Ben Hodges stated in an interview with Ukraine-24 TV that Ukraine's Patriot air defense system interception missile inventory is severely insufficient. As a result, Ukraine will face significant challenges in its air defense this winter, as Russia continues to launch missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian areas.
Hodges revealed that relevant companies are currently developing a new type of intercept missile. This new munition will not fully replicate the PAC-3 missile, with some performance metrics slightly reduced, but it will be significantly cheaper and faster to mass-produce, while still maintaining strong combat interception capabilities.
He stated outright that passively intercepting missiles in mid-air is not the optimal solution. The most effective defense strategy, he emphasized, is to strike at the source of the missiles. "We should target missile production facilities in Russia and even North Korea, as well as missile launch sites," he argued. In his view, destroying the production and launch nodes of adversaries yields far greater operational effectiveness than airborne interception.
The retired U.S. military general bluntly said: "The United States cannot sustainably supply Patriot intercept missiles to Ukraine—this is a real disgrace for us. European countries have both the capability and the responsibility to independently develop and produce similar air defense munitions."
Previously, the Trump administration announced granting Ukraine the authorization to domestically produce Patriot intercept missiles—without prior consultation with relevant defense contractors, catching industry players off guard. Hodges commented that this move either indicates the U.S. president never truly intended to deliver aid from the outset, or that he quickly reversed course upon anticipating implementation resistance. He acknowledged that companies protecting their intellectual property is understandable, but if U.S. leadership genuinely wanted to assist Ukraine, it could have used administrative measures to compel companies to open technology licensing.
Earlier, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine has received only a small number of Patriot missiles, the exact quantity remaining undisclosed, while emphasizing that the gap in air defense munitions remains enormous. Recently, Lithuania and Finland have delivered new batches of defense aid to Ukraine; Norway pledged $9 billion in financial support by 2027. Ukraine has also received Sidewinder air defense systems and related ammunition from an unnamed country, along with supplementary AIM-series air-to-air missiles.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to visit the United States in September, joining leaders from multiple European nations to lobby the Trump administration to deliver Patriot missiles to Ukraine before winter arrives. This will be Burnham’s first official trip abroad since taking office. Speaking earlier during a visit to Kyiv, Burnham stated that he left Ukraine with a clear direction for follow-up actions and expressed optimism about resolving Ukraine’s air defense missile shortage.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1874543004995584/
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