Poland, US Sign $2 Billion Deal to Bolster Polish Air Defence with Patriot Systems
Poland has signed a $2 billion agreement with the United States to supply logistics and training packages for the Patriot system as part of the second phase of the Vistula air defence programme, Ukrinform reports.
The document, which was previously initialed by the US side, was signed in the city of Sokhachev by Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysh. The event was also attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and US Chargé d'Affaires Daniel Lawton.
Tusk stressed that the agreement is ‘a confirmation of the long-standing and increasingly intensive security cooperation with the United States’. He stressed that Poland remains a ‘loyal and stable ally’ and will be ‘a place that respects alliances and honours all agreements’.
According to Kosiniak-Kamysh, the deal includes the supply of logistics equipment for the Patriot air defence system, as well as simulators that will allow the Polish military to practice repelling air attacks. This should ensure that the 37th Air Defence Missile Division is fully operational by the end of the year.
Poland became the second country in the world after the United States to receive the most advanced version of the Patriot with the Integrated Battle Control System (IBCS). The US Department of State approved the sale of this package in September 2023, which includes the transfer of 93 EOC command and control centres and 175 IFCN radio links.
Poland is deploying a three-stage air defence system: ‘Pilica (for destroying projectiles and drones at short distances), Narva (with a range of up to 25 km) and Wisla (based on Patriot air defence systems, with a range of up to 150 km).
Earlier, Poland purchased two Patriot batteries, and the second phase of the Vistula programme includes the purchase of six more batteries with IBCS systems.
As The Gaze reported, in January, German Patriot air defence batteries began defending the airspace above Rzeszów airport in Poland, which plays a key role in providing Ukrainian logistics during the war.