Germany says it is ready to provide the Patriot missile defense system for Poland in order to make its airspace as secure as possible.
Missile launcher of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system of the German Air Force. Image credit: Mark Holloway via Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0
The statement mentioning the possibility of delivering Patriot air defense systems from Germany to Poland was issued by the German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht in response to a recent stray missile hit during which two Polish citizens were killed.
The German government also stated it is ready to offer its Eurofighter jets to strengthen airspace control and in order to safeguard against any possible threats from potential adversaries.
“We have offered Poland support in securing airspace – with our Eurofighters and Patriot air defense systems,” commented Lambrecht.
According to NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg, the missile that landed in Polish territory last week was launched by Ukrainian air defenses to counter Russian rockets. Patriot and similar platforms are designed to intercept such missiles, and they could be a valuable tool for Poland to safeguard itself against similar incidents – if they were to happen again.
Currently, there are 12 Patriot units in service with the German Army. Two of these units are deployed to Slovakia.