Poland ready to jointly produce Patriot missiles with Ukraine on its territory
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski said Poland has the capacity and readiness to start producing PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot systems in cooperation with Ukraine. Talks are underway with manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the US administration.
Poland's Deputy Minister of National Defense, Pawel Zalewski, said on August 27, on the sidelines of a NATO North Atlantic Council meeting, that Poland is among the countries with the capacity and readiness to begin manufacturing PAC-3 interceptor missiles used in Patriot air defense systems on its own soil.
According to Zalewski, expanding production of PAC-3 interceptors outside the United States also matters to Americans, since the industry faces a noticeable shortage of manufacturing capacity. He stressed that Poland does not want to compete with Ukraine, Germany, or anyone else, but instead seeks some form of cooperation between companies or countries.
He added that such production should support not only NATO but also Ukraine, possibly Ukraine first and foremost. Zalewski said Poland has the necessary capabilities and expertise and wants to take part in this production, whether jointly with Ukrainians, with Germans, or with both. Poland, he said, is currently in close contact with Patriot manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the US administration on the matter, adding that both industrial and political decisions are still needed.
Previous support
A few months ago, Poland transferred five PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems to Ukraine, as announced at the time by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Following an incident in which a Russian missile fell on Polish territory, Tusk said Warsaw would soon consider handing over additional Patriot missiles to Ukraine. On August 13, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka confirmed that a decision on transferring further Patriot missiles to Ukraine was already being prepared.
