The United States has named Poland as the location of a European centre for servicing PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems, the US Department of Defense announced on Tuesday, 27 October. Warsaw calls the decision „historic”.
The Pentagon’s announcement came during a meeting of the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD). The facility is to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for PAC-3 missiles produced by Lockheed Martin. According to the Pentagon, this will „radically shorten turnaround time” and secure supply chains.
US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey said the choice of location on NATO’s eastern flank was a clear signal: the Alliance is united, takes deterrence seriously and is ready to back words with deeds. Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden are to lead the integration of key supplies.
Competition for the location
Deputy Minister of National Defence Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka wrote on X that four countries competed for the European location: besides Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.
As Notes from Poland reports, US Ambassador Thomas Rose, however, indicated that the fourth candidate was Sweden, not Norway – the discrepancy has not been explained. The deputy minister led talks with the American side. According to TVP World, the centre is to be worth about PLN 1 billion and, as the deputy minister claims, will be the only one of its kind outside the USA. The Pentagon’s announcement does not confirm these figures.
The idea for the centre emerged at the NATO summit in Ankara in July, in a letter of intent signed by Lockheed Martin with Poland, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. The Pentagon links the decision to the concept of „NATO 3.0”, meaning greater responsibility for conventional defence by Europeans.
Reactions in Warsaw
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote that it is proof that Poland is a reliable ally with an extremely important place on the security map. He thanked President Karol Nawrocki. Presidential adviser Bartosz Grodecki attributed the success to Nawrocki’s conversation with Donald Trump, and the head of the Bureau of International Policy, Marcin Przydacz, spoke of the fruits of good Polish-American relations. Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier said that Poland had competed with several ambitious rivals.
What it means
The centre will service missiles, not produce them. Poland has bought eight Patriot batteries and PAC-3 MSE missiles (according to Mezha.net), so a nearby service base may shorten downtime and give Poland’s defence industry skills and jobs – Lockheed Martin announces the inclusion of local suppliers. The launch date, the location in Poland and the value of the investment were not given in the announcement.
The decision comes as demand for Patriots grows, and Ukraine, as we have reported, is asking Poland and four other countries for part of their missile stocks for Patriot and IRIS-T systems.
