Trump turns NATO spending fight into win for US defense companies

President Donald Trump is returning from the annual NATO summit in Turkey having secured several deals involving allies investing in U.S. defense companies and moving to expand production in Europe. The White House on Thursday released a fact sheet outlining $3 billion in deals and joint ventures involving U.S. defense companies and America's European allies that will boost the defense industrial base on both sides of the Atlantic. It comes amid the Trump administration's push for NATO members to increase spending on defense. The announcement noted that Lockheed Martin will work to establish a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile sustainment facility in Europe, which would boost the NATO alliance's air and missile defense capabilities. Lockheed Martin said the commitment involves the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, adding that the facility would provide in-region maintenance and sustainment capabilities for the in-demand air defense missiles after Patriot interceptors have seen heavy use in Ukraine and the Middle East in recent years. Patriot missile systems play a key role in air and missile defense for the U.S. and NATO militaries. The company will also partner with German defense firm Rheinmetall to produce the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has also been in high-demand after the U.S. provided the precision guided missile to Ukraine to use in its war with Russia.