Poland eyes role as Patriot missile hub as US funding deal boosts arms plans

Poland could become NATO’s main servicing hub for Patriot missiles, a senior defence official said Thursday, as a new U.S. financing deal worth USD 4 billion is set to fund Apache helicopters and F-16 upgrades.

AH-64 Apache.PAP/Darek Delmanowicz

Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda told private broadcaster RMF FM radio that Warsaw was in advanced talks with Washington over hosting a maintenance centre for Patriot interceptors, a project he called „very realistic” and one that could eventually pave the way for Poland to produce PAC-3 missiles used in the systems.

„At the moment there are practically two countries left in the negotiations — Poland and Germany. Informally, we hear that Poland has a very good chance of becoming the servicing hub for all Patriot missiles”, Bejda said, stressing the plan was one of cooperation rather than rivalry with Berlin. He said a final decision was expected by the end of the year.

The remarks came a day after Poland and the United States signed a fresh agreement under Washington’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, extending a USD 4 billion credit guarantee for American-made equipment. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the arrangement reflected Poland’s standing with Washington: „The FMF programme is granted only to the best allies”.

Bejda said the credit line had previously covered Barbara surveillance balloons, but that the broader shopping list backed by the fund was far more extensive, spanning F-16 modernisation, Apache attack helicopters and the Wisła air-defence programme, which includes Patriot launchers and missile systems. He said tangible results from the financing would emerge quickly.

The minister also addressed Poland’s growing focus on countering drone incursions. Asked whether fighter jets would again need to intercept Russian drones entering Polish airspace — as happened during a mass incursion on the night of 9-10 September last year — Bejda answered simply: „Of course, yes”.

He pointed to progress on the SAN air-defence system, along with the adaptation of aircraft at the PZL Mielec plant, helicopters and short-range systems, all aimed at intercepting drones that might cross into Polish territory. Poland’s armed forces already possess kamikaze drones designed specifically to down enemy drones, he added.

On equipment plans, Bejda said he would push for the acquisition of heavy-lift transport helicopters capable of dual civilian and military use. „I want to stress these could be dual-use helicopters — for example for evacuating people during floods, or for firefighting”, he said.

He added that the defence ministry was lobbying counterparts in the agriculture and interior ministries to back the purchase of Firehawk helicopters for firefighting, potentially drawing on funds routed to the interior ministry through the EU’s SAFE scheme. Talks were still ongoing, he said, but such aircraft would be „very much needed” amid climate change.

Russian drones repeatedly breached Polish airspace on the night of 9-10 September last year during a wider overnight assault on Ukraine, prompting Polish and allied jets to scramble in response. Military officials later said the episode exposed the high cost of using missiles worth millions of dollars, built to counter threats such as enemy aircraft, against cheap drones, underscoring the need for less expensive countermeasures against any larger-scale drone incursion.

(jh)

Source: Polish Radio