Poland to Host a PAC-3 Missile Maintenance Center for Patriot Systems
Poland will host a maintenance center for PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems, Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said on X.
She called the decision historic. According to the deputy minister, four countries competed for the right to host the facility in Europe: besides Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. "From the very beginning we were in constant contact with the American side. This success was not obvious. It is the result of many months of negotiations and the hard work of the whole team," said Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, who led the talks on creating the center.
The defence minister's reaction
National Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also commented on the decision: "We did it! The US government, in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, has announced the creation of a new PAC-3 missile service center in Poland! Poland is a reliable ally and an extremely important place on the map of global security. I thank the President of the Republic of Poland, my colleagues and everyone who supported this project from the start. Today's decision shows that by joining forces we are able to successfully accomplish even the most difficult tasks for the security of our homeland."
What the center will do
As reported, the center will be responsible for the maintenance, inspection and combat readiness of missiles used by NATO countries, not for their production. For Warsaw the investment is strategically significant because the Patriot system is one of the pillars of the Wisla air-defence programme. Poland has so far bought eight Patriot batteries and PAC-3 MSE missiles. A national center could shorten missile servicing times, strengthen supply security and give Polish industry competence in their maintenance.
Interceptors for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Ukraine has waited almost a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's signature on transferring interceptor missiles to Patriot and NASAMS air-defence systems. In an interview with ABC News, Zelensky said Ukraine has received only 24 Patriot interceptor missiles from the US over the past three months. More in world news.