A European center for the maintenance of Patriot interceptor missiles, manufactured by the American company Lockheed Martin, will be established in Poland. The decision was announced by Deputy Minister of Defense Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka.
The center will be the only one of its kind outside the United States. According to the Polish deputy minister, the investment will be worth about 1 billion zlotys, or approximately $253 million, and its construction and preparation for operation will take about 12 months.
„Four countries competed for the deployment of this investment in Europe – Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland. This success was not a given“, wrote Sobkowiak-Czarnecka on the social network “Ex“.
Poland was chosen after a competition with Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. The center will allow the missiles to be serviced on European territory, instead of being sent to the United States. This will shorten the time for maintenance and returning the ammunition to operational readiness.
The new infrastructure comes against the backdrop of increased demand for air defense missiles. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have led to the depletion of part of the stock of interceptor missiles and delays in deliveries, “Reuters“ reported. Therefore, a number of countries are looking for opportunities for maintenance and production closer to their own territories.
The center in Poland will be important not only for the Polish armed forces, but also for European countries that use the “Patriot“ systems. After its construction, the maintenance of the missiles will not depend solely on the capacity of American facilities.
Sources: bta.bg, wsau.com