The United States has selected Poland to host its European maintenance facility for Patriot air defense missiles.
The Pentagon announced the decision, in coordination with Lockheed Martin and European allies, on Oct. 27, on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO’s Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), the alliance’s senior body responsible for coordinating weapons procurement and development.
The facility will service Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, with Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden playing key roles in integrating its supply chain.
The PATRIOT is the U.S. Army’s most advanced air defense system and is capable of defeating both high-performance aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles. It is the only operational U.S. air defense system that can shoot down attacking missiles.
“Delivering for warfighters—anytime, anywhere—is how we deter our adversaries and strengthen collective defense,” Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey said in a statement.
“By investing national resources to establish this critical sustainment capability on NATO’s Eastern Front, Allies are sending a clear message: The Alliance is united, serious about deterrence, and ready to back our words with action,” he added.
“Poland is a trusted ally and an extremely important place on the map of global security,” Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said in an Oct. 27 post on X.
The project was committed at July’s Ankara Summit under the “NATO 3.0” framework.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said on July 7 that servicing PAC-3 missiles in the United States used to take a long time.
“We start with servicing, which sometimes used to take up to two years – because sending these missiles to the US, then their return and certification was a two-years-long process. …We are doing everything to have a transfer of technology from the United States to Europe,” he added.
The initiative forms part of NATO’s broader “NATO 3.0” strategy, which seeks to strengthen European defense capabilities, expand military production, and reduce Europe’s dependence on American forces.
Significant progress is being made toward the establishment of a U.S. Army base in Poland, U.S. President Donald Trump said last month.
Trump said the establishment of a U.S. Army base in the NATO member state would be a “historic step” for the alliance between the United States and Poland. The U.S. Army Garrison Poland has a presence in Poland but does not have a permanent base in the country.
“GREAT NEWS! Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social statement on Sept. 17. “If this happens, the location will be announced very soon.”
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski said last month that Poland was holding discussions with Pentagon officials about establishing several U.S. military bases in the country.
Missiles for Ukraine
Kyiv is contracting the supply of 1,000 missiles for its U.S.-made Patriot air defense system, Ukraine’s defense minister said last month.
Ukraine will acquire the armaments with the support of international partners and a loan from the European Union (EU), Minister of Defense Evgeniy Khmara confirmed during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Sept. 8, according to a statement.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said that it would take time for delivery, so Kyiv will need missiles from allies’ stockpiles before the start of winter.
The ministry also called for more urgent aid to fill a defense funding gap needed for more drones.
On Jan. 6, Lockheed Martin announced a seven-year agreement with the U.S. government to expand PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement production capacity from approximately 600 to 2,000 interceptors annually.
Timothy Frudd and Victoria Friedman contributed to this report.
