Poland to host first Patriot missile maintenance hub outside the US

Poland is set to become the first country outside the United States to host a maintenance centre for missiles used in the Patriot air defence system. The project is worth about 227 million euros, and Poland competed for it against Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, according to Euronews. The centre is expected to strengthen the air defence of NATO, the North Atlantic military alliance.

The new facility will carry out technical inspections, maintenance and repairs of PAC-3 missiles used in Patriot systems. Until now, European countries had to send these missiles to the United States, which took a lot of time and money. Servicing them in Europe will allow missiles to be made ready for reuse faster.

Reactions and cooperation

Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, Poland's deputy defence minister, called the decision historic and said it followed several months of negotiations with the United States. The Pentagon, the US Department of Defense, said the investment shows the readiness of NATO allies to strengthen shared security. Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden are also expected to cooperate on setting up the centre.

Why it matters

Such a centre is particularly significant as the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East have raised demand for air defence missiles. Patriot systems are also used in Ukraine to intercept Russian missiles, including ballistic missiles that threaten cities and energy infrastructure.

What remains to be settled

Poland still has to agree the details of the project with the US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The centre could begin work in about a year. It is intended for maintenance and repair of missiles, not for producing new ones.