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- Pentagon says new facility to be underpinned by robust, transatlantic industrial cooperation, with critical supply chain integration led by Germany, Netherlands, Sweden
By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US selected Poland to host a new European maintenance facility for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile systems, a move aimed at strengthening NATO’s air and missile defense capabilities and improving military readiness on the alliance’s eastern flank, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO’s Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), with the US government coordinating with defense contractor Lockheed Martin and European allies on the initiative.
Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden will lead critical supply-chain integration for the facility, which will establish regional maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities for PAC-3 missiles within Europe, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"Today's announcement puts partnership into action. By investing national resources to establish this critical sustainment capability on NATO's Eastern Front, Allies are sending a clear message: the Alliance is united, serious about deterrence, and ready to back our words with action," said Michael Duffey, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
The Pentagon said the initiative advances defense-industrial commitments made at the NATO summit in Ankara in July under the framework it described as “NATO 3.0.” The broader objective is to increase European allies’ ability to assume primary responsibility for their conventional defense while maintaining close cooperation with the US.
Diyar Güldoğan
