# DoD Faces Missile Delivery Delays Impacting NATO

The U.S. Department of Defense is experiencing significant shortages of Patriot interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles, resulting in multi-year delivery delays for NATO allies including Switzerland and Germany. These delays stem from the U.S. prioritizing replenishment of its depleted missile inventories following extensive wartime usage. In response, NATO partners are accelerating efforts to expand local missile production capabilities, pursue alternative missile systems, and invest in European manufacturing to reduce reliance on U.S. supply chains and maintain robust allied air and missile defense.

- The U.S. Army awarded a **$4.7 billion** contract in April 2026 to accelerate production of PAC-3 MSE Patriot missiles.
- Raytheon Technologies secured a **$22.9 billion** contract in August 2026 to support annual production of over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles.
- NATO allies such as Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are increasing defense spending and fostering joint ventures like COMLOG (Raytheon and MBDA Deutschland) to enhance local missile manufacturing.
- Procurement professionals should evaluate opportunities arising from expanded European missile production and consider the impact of U.S. supply constraints on contract timelines and strategic sourcing.
- This situation underscores the importance of diversifying supply chains and investing in allied manufacturing capabilities to sustain NATO's air and missile defense posture.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** September 21, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Department of Defense (DoD)
- NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
- Bundeswehr
- Netherlands Ministry of Defence
- Swiss Government

### Vendors
- Lockheed Martin (prime contractor)
- Raytheon Technologies (RTX) (prime contractor)
- MBDA Deutschland (joint venture partner)
- COMLOG (joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA Deutschland)

### Key Quotes
> The ability to sustain NATO air and missile defense will therefore depend increasingly on how quickly the Alliance can convert higher defense spending into additional production capacity and usable interceptor stocks.
> — Erwan Halna du Fretay, Defense Analyst

### Sources
- [U.S. Missile Shortages Delay Patriot and Tomahawk Deliveries and Strain NATO Defense Planning](https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-missile-shortages-delay-patriot-and-tomahawk-deliveries-and-strain-nato-defense-planning) - Army Recognition