President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a team from Lockheed Martin, one of the strongest companies in the United States, with which Ukraine has been cooperating for a long time.
The Head of State thanked the company for its support and all the assistance provided, and highlighted the successful work on comprehensive support for the F-16 program and the training of Ukrainian pilots.
“This program has continued from the first day we began using F-16s until now. Especially ahead of a difficult winter, amid massive attacks involving ‘shaheds’ – F-16s destroy them. And we have a very good rate of shooting down ‘shaheds.’ So we are very proud to have this capability. Thank you very much. We count on the continuation of the program,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
During the meeting, the President emphasized that security is the top priority, making it important to continue cooperation on strengthening Ukrainian air defense. In particular, to launch joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles to protect lives in Ukraine and beyond.
“Of course, everyone is counting on increased production. On your side, we have been in contact with the President, members of Congress, and the entire government team. And we would be very pleased to use licenses for production in Ukraine,” the Head of State noted.
President of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Orlando Sanchez Jr. expressed his own and his team’s readiness to strengthen cooperation as much as possible.
“Thank you for defending democracy on the front lines. And for how dedicated you are to protecting your people. It is inspiring to be here and see the resilience of your people,” he added.
Lockheed Martin is the largest American and global corporation in the fields of aircraft manufacturing, defense technologies, aerospace, and shipbuilding. The company produces ATACMS, HIMARS, F-16s, and missiles for Patriot systems.