Berlin, FRG (Weltexpress). The United States military-industrial complex is facing an unprecedented phase of global expansion, which will inevitably have geopolitical consequences, particularly in relation to China and Russia.
While demand for advanced weapon systems is rising due to geopolitical tensions in Europe and Asia, US defense giant Lockheed Martin, for example, is pursuing a strategic internationalization of its production capacities, which cannot be expanded in the US in the short term. As a result, countries such as Poland and Germany, which urgently want US weapons such as Patriot missiles or F-35 fighter jets, often have to wait years for delivery.
Poland, for example, began negotiations in 2024 to purchase up to 486 HIMARS systems, but even at full production capacity in the US, delivery would take many years. The internationalization of production is intended to mitigate these delays and at the same time bind European countries more closely to the US.
The obvious reason for this development is that the US lacks the skilled workers needed to rapidly expand the production of complex high-tech weapon systems. At the same time, the US has lost much of its former appeal on the international labor market for qualified technicians, engineers, and scientists. In order to bring forth enough young people with technical and scientific skills for the defense industry, at least in the medium term, the entire US education system would first have to be overhauled.
These are the main reasons why, in view of the explosive increase in demand for modern US weapons, leading US defense contractors have begun to outsource parts of their production to friendly countries in Europe and Asia. This is not in line with President Trump’s wishes, who had hoped that this increase in demand for US weapons, which he himself had encouraged among allies, would have a strong employment effect, particularly in the US, with well-paid jobs in the impoverished regions of the country. However, the fact is that a clear trend is currently emerging – from the manufacture of Patriot missiles in Europe to new military research and development centers in Asia – with the US expanding its military presence and influence worldwide through industrial partnerships.
Expansion in Europe: Patriot, Javelin, and GMLRS
Lockheed Martin, one of the world’s largest defense contractors, plans to expand production of the Patriot PAC-3 missile system to Europe. Until now, these missiles have been manufactured exclusively in the US and Japan. Now Europe is to be added as a third production region to meet the growing demand for these air defense systems, which is being fueled by the war in Ukraine and the rearmament of European NATO countries and countries in the Middle East. “There is enough work worldwide, so we are looking for strategic partnerships to fulfill our mission,” explained Jason Reynolds, a senior Lockheed manager, at this year’s Paris Air Show 2025.
Despite their failure in Ukraine against revolutionary Russian hypersonic missiles with their unpredictable trajectories, Patriot missiles apparently remain a central element of Western air defense. However, Patriot production has long since reached its limits, especially with regard to the so-called “seeker.” This is a crucial component that has been supplied exclusively by Boeing until now. However, the US Army is particularly keen to find a second supplier for this component in order to avoid bottlenecks in an emergency. This measure is a prime example of how urgently the US wants to diversify its supply chains in the event of bottlenecks in order to cope with rising demand.
In addition to Patriot missiles, Lockheed plans to relocate the production of other weapon systems to Europe. Poland plays a key role in this: the country has agreed to be the first outside the US to produce Javelin anti-tank missiles. This decision is not only economically motivated, but also strategically, as Poland’s geographical proximity to Russia makes it a key player in NATO’s eastward expansion, from which the investment strategists of US defense contractors obviously expect even more weapons purchases.
The Americans also want to involve Germany more closely. According to a recent report in Wirtschaftswoche, a Lockheed manager has expressed interest in Rheinmetall with a view to manufacturing the ATACMS weapon system and Hellfire missiles there.
In addition, the production of components for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) is to be relocated to Poland, while in the UK, where Javelin missiles are already manufactured, the relevant capacities are to be expanded. These steps are part of a larger trend that also includes the relocation of domestic US defense capabilities to Asian countries.
Lockheed’s military R&D center in the Philippines
Parallel to its European expansion, Lockheed Martin is focusing on the Asia-Pacific region in order to secure its influence in this region as well. A prominent example is the planned establishment of a research and development (R&D) center in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. This center will be operated in cooperation with Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Philippine universities and private companies. It is part of Lockheed’s bid for the Philippine Multi-Role Jet Fighter Program, which includes the delivery of 70 F-16B fighter jets. Jess Koloini, head of business development for the F-16 program, describes the partnership as an investment in “new technological capabilities and intellectual property“ that will not only strengthen the Philippines’ defense capabilities but also promote economic growth and jobs.
But this initiative has a geopolitical dimension that goes far beyond economic benefits. Analysts see the R&D center as a “soft power approach with hard power effects” that is making China sit up and take notice. This is because the Philippines is a key player in the territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, which – with the Pentagon behind it – does not shy away from anti-Chinese provocations. The presence of a US defense contractor in Manila binds the country even more closely to the US security structure and sends a clear signal to Beijing. In particular, the modernization of the Philippine armed forces with US technology, such as F-16 jets, is seen by Western commentators as a natural response to China’s growing military presence in the region .
Geopolitical implications
The global expansion of the US defense industry is not only a response to production bottlenecks, but also a strategic move to counteract the trend toward an increasingly multipolar world. In Europe, increased production of Patriot, Javelin, and GMLRS systems serves to strengthen NATO and threaten (in NATO jargon, deter) Russia, especially against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict. The massive rearmament of European countries, justified by the war in Ukraine, has driven up demand for US weapons. With Lockheed Martin’s relocation of production capacity to countries such as Poland, the company is positioning itself geopolitically in an optimal way for further war business.
In Asia, on the other hand, the expansion aims to counteract China’s growing influence. The deployment of Chinese H-6 bombers on the Paracel Islands , equipped with anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air cruise missiles, and the modernization of the Chinese navy have prompted the US to escalate tensions in the South China Sea. The R&D center in Manila is therefore intended to send a clear signal that the US wants to arm its allies in the region militarily and technologically in order to counterbalance China. But this strategy carries risks, because China will not sit idly by and watch this development unfold.
Critical perspectives: Provocation or partnership?
The expansion of the US military-industrial complex raises a number of critical questions. In Germany, the peace movement has begun to reassess the role of the West in global conflicts. Organizations such as the German Peace Society (DFG-VK) and “Rheinmetall Disarm” criticize the “arms race” and the “military double standards” of the West, which fuel conflicts such as the one in Ukraine through arms deliveries. The shift of US arms production to Europe could be seen as part of this spiral, which provokes not only Russia but also other actors such as China.
There is also a risk that the dependence of European and Asian countries on US weapons will further restrict their strategic autonomy. Poland and the Philippines, for example, are becoming even more closely tied to US geopolitical interests through their cooperation with Lockheed Martin. In the long term, this could exacerbate tensions with other major powers and make diplomatic solutions more difficult.
The expansion of the US military-industrial complex under the leadership of Lockheed Martin – in coordination with the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon – is a complex undertaking with far-reaching implications. In Europe, this strengthens NATO with its threatening gestures toward Russia, while Washington seeks to provoke China in its Asian backyard. When Lockheed Martin nevertheless speaks of a “win-win situation” for the countries involved, the answer to the question of whether this expansion promotes peace and stability or provokes new conflicts is already clear!
