Poland Signs Contract for Production of 48 Patriot Launchers
Poland has signed a $1.23 billion contract for the production of 48 M903 launchers, part of the Patriot air defence system.
This is reported by Reuters.
"These launchers... will be produced in Poland," Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosyniak-Kamysh said during a visit to Sohaczów in central Poland.
The contract was signed between Raytheon Polska and the Polish company PGZ Huta Stalowa Wola (the Patriot systems are manufactured by the US company Raytheon).
"When it comes to air defence, Poland has never been more advanced than it is today," US Ambassador Mark Brzezinski said at an event at an air base west of Warsaw.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has made defence a top priority for countries on NATO's eastern flank, and Poland has increased spending to around 4% of GDP this year in a bid to bolster its armed forces.
Poland is currently undertaking a large-scale modernisation programme, including the purchase of US defence equipment such as F-35 aircraft, Patriot missile systems and Abrams main battle tanks.