Poland Selected to Host PAC-3 Missile Maintenance Facility in Europe, Pentagon Announces
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on October 27 that Poland has been selected to host a PAC-3 Patriot missile maintenance facility in Europe, the first of its kind on the continent. Lockheed Martin will advance the project together with the United States, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden; the parties signed a letter of intent in July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, to explore establishing the facility.
The facility will provide technical maintenance, testing and readiness support for PAC-3 MSE and CRI interceptors, but will not manufacture missiles. Older PAC-3 interceptors fielded in Europe currently have to be shipped back to the United States for servicing, a round trip that takes months; once the facility opens, interceptors can be serviced in Europe, sharply cutting turnaround time.
Jay Pitman, president of Lockheed Martin International, said building maintenance capacity in Europe will return allies' PAC-3 interceptors to readiness faster. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland had beaten competitors, including Germany, in the selection.
The PAC-3 is the latest interceptor for the Patriot air defense system, using hit-to-kill technology against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. Poland has sharply expanded its air and missile defenses in recent years and has purchased multiple Patriot batteries; the maintenance facility will further strengthen the support chain on NATO's eastern flank.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：在斯洛伐克部署的「爱国者」导弹发射车（资料图）。美国陆军Emily Park中尉拍摄，公共领域，来源：Wikimedia Commons / Photo: A Patriot missile launcher deployed in Slovakia. U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Emily Park, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
