Production and maintenance of Patriot missiles: Poland to cooperate with Ukraine – Kosiniak-Kamysz
Poland is one of the countries where PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems will be produced and maintained, and it will also cooperate with Ukraine in this area.
This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister and Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Censor.NET reports, citing Ukrinform.
Details
He recalled that Poland had signed an agreement with the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden to establish a maintenance center in Europe for PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement on granting Ukraine a license to produce missiles for Patriot systems, Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Poland would play an important role in this process.
"Today, no transfer of equipment to Ukraine takes place without Poland’s involvement," he stressed.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland is part of a group of four NATO countries — together with Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands — that received the status at the Alliance summit in Ankara of countries to which technology related to the production and maintenance of missiles for Patriot systems may be transferred.
"Poland is one of the countries designated by the United States as a place where the production and maintenance of these missiles should take place, so in this area we will also cooperate with Ukraine," the Polish minister stressed.
Missile production in Ukraine
According to him, launching production of these missiles in Ukraine is a complex and lengthy process that will take many weeks.
"Today, missiles for Patriot systems are produced only in the United States, and in volumes that do not even meet the needs of the United States itself. Therefore, this process must be accelerated. We are determined, and Poland is ready to immediately begin maintenance and further steps," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
MiG-29s in exchange for Ukrainian drone production technologies
In addition, he said talks are ongoing on the possible transfer of Polish MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in exchange for Ukrainian drone production technologies. According to him, the Ukrainians first agreed, then hesitated, and have now returned to negotiations.
"I hope this proposal will have a positive outcome," he added.
Background
- As a reminder, on July 8, President Trump said that the United States could grant Ukraine the right to produce missiles for Patriot systems on its own.
- According to the WSJ, Ukraine has almost run out of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
- Ukraine’s Defense Minister Fedorov said work was underway to directly contract the purchase of PAC-3 missiles, which had not been done before.
