Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the agreement during the NATO summit in Ankara.
"We have signed an agreement with the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden on establishing a servicing center in Europe for PAC-3 missiles used in Patriot systems. This will significantly increase capacity and speed up the production and servicing of missiles", he said. "To those who have spent the past few days warning that Poland is losing its defense capabilities, we are proving how wrong they are. Our goal is not only to buy modern weaponry, but also to produce and service it in Europe — with Poland's participation".
He added that the goal of the cooperation is not only to develop servicing capabilities but also to gradually increase the participation of European countries, including Poland, in producing modern weaponry.
The agreement confirms earlier indications that the United States is willing to develop some Patriot missile capabilities outside its own territory. On the sidelines of the NATO summit, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Michael Duffy said Washington does not rule out producing PAC-3 missiles outside the United States. "We definitely leave open the possibility of production outside the U.S.", Duffy said.
According to earlier statements by Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland is among the countries being seriously considered as a future production site for PAC-3 missiles used in Patriot systems, as well as munitions for HIMARS launchers.
PAC-3 missiles used in Patriot systems are among the most important components of modern air and missile defense and have been heavily used by Ukraine to intercept Russian air attacks.
Reuters and Politico had previously reported that establishing a European servicing center is intended to ease the burden on U.S. defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, speed up maintenance of weapons used by NATO countries, and boost production capacity in the defense industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
The agreement was signed in Ankara at the NATO Defence Industry Forum, held alongside the NATO summit and dedicated to cooperation between alliance member states and the defense industry to increase weapons production amid growing security needs in Europe.
(jh/pu)
Source: Polish Radio