July 8, 2026: Ukraine is developing a replacement for the American Patriot air defense system, the FP-7.x, that is cheaper, at $700,000, just as effective, and safer to use because Patriot radars, since their inception 44 years ago, have inadvertently broadcast their location to listening enemies. Each FP-7.x costs less than a fifth of a Patriot PAC-3 interceptor. FP-7.x also requires fewer personnel to maintain and operate a battery. For example, a Patriot battery is manned by about a hundred troops, and each contains a radar and four launchers. A battery can fire two types of Patriot missiles. The more expensive $3.8 million PAC 3 missile is smaller than the PAC 2 anti-aircraft version. Thus, a Patriot launcher can hold sixteen PAC 3 missiles, versus four PAC 2s. A PAC 2 missile weighs about a ton; a PAC 3 weighs about a third of that. The PAC 3 has a range of 20 kilometers versus 160 kilometers for the PAC 2 anti-aircraft version used against low-flying drones. Given this long range, one Patriot battery can cover more than 200 kilometers of land and coastal borders. Patriot can also take down cruise missiles as well, giving users some protection against just about everything the enemy can throw at them.

Meanwhile, FP-7.x was test-launched in February, and production is expected to begin within a month or so. While the current war with Russia is winding down, the Russians have already announced that they will eventually return. Ukraine wants to be ready for whenever Russia decides to invade them again.

Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022 to prevent it from joining NATO. What Russia thought would be a two-week war has lasted more than fifty months so far, and Russia admits failure to achieve any of its goals. As Russia threatens to attack again sometime, Ukraine offers NATO a new member that has defeated Russia and developed new ways to fight wars. Ukraine would be the only NATO member with extensive recent combat experience and eagerness to export these weapons and combat techniques to other nations. It’s obvious that Ukraine and NATO would both be better off with Ukraine as a member,

NATO was formed in 1949 to protect Western Europe from Russian aggression. Ukraine has met and defeated that aggression, and Russia is preparing to test NATO resolve by the end of the decade.