Germany Ready to Maintain Patriot Air Defense Systems in Poland Until Year-End
The German government has proposed to Poland to keep its three Patriot air defence systems in the country until the end of the year, as reported by Tagesschau.
The Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany has agreed to extend the deployment of German troops with the Patriot systems in Poland beyond the summer. "This is necessary to ensure the security of our neighbors."
Initially, the systems were planned to be stationed there for a maximum of six months.
However, the current deployment has been extended "likely until the end of the year," according to the ministry.
These systems have made a "valuable contribution to the protection of civilian populations and the territory of our Alliance on the eastern flank within NATO's integrated air defence."
Since January, the German Patriot air defence systems have been stationed in Zamość, southeastern Poland, to protect the country's airspace. The city is located near the border with Ukraine, which has been suffering from Russia's full-scale military invasion since February 24, 2022.
Germany proposed the Patriot systems after a missile struck a border region between Poland and Ukraine in mid-November. This proposition initially sparked a disagreement between Berlin and Warsaw: Warsaw suggested passing the proposed Patriot batteries to Ukraine. The federal government rejected this. Eventually, both sides agreed to keep the systems in Poland rather than transfer them to Kyiv.
The American Patriot air defence system is considered the most advanced. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) labels it the "workhorse" of the US air defence. The development of this surface-to-air missile system dates back to the late 1960s, and it was introduced in the early 1980s, undergoing continuous modernization since then.
It is used for defence against aircraft, cruise missiles, and shorter-range missiles. It is manufactured by American defence contractors Raytheon and Lockheed. It was first used in the 1990s during the First Gulf War and subsequently from 2003 during the Second Gulf War.
As of today, 18 countries have acquired or are considering acquiring the Patriot system in the near future. The Bundeswehr also includes Patriot air defence systems in its arsenal.