Poland signs contract with US for production of 48 Patriot launchers
The Polish company Huta Stalowa Wola and the American concern Raytheon have signed an agreement to produce 48 M903 launchers, which are part of the Patriot air defense system.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Reuters.
"These launchers... will be produced in Poland," said Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National DefenseWladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz during a visit to Sokhachev.
It is noted that the contract for 48 Patriot launchers worth $1.23 billion will be another in a series of agreements under the so-called Phase II of the Vistula program, which provides for the purchase of six batteries of Patriot anti-aircraft missile defense systems for the Polish army.
As part of the first phase of the program, Poland ordered two such batteries.
The M903 launchers, developed by the US-based Raytheon, will be produced by Poland's Huta Stalowa Wola.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has made defense a priority for NATO's eastern flank, and Poland has increased spending this year to about 4% of GDP in an effort to bolster its armed forces.
Earlier, Poland signed an agreement with the United States to purchase several hundred AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. Supplies will be made after 2029.
