Germany, on January 23, began deploying two of three Patriot air defense complexes in the Polish town of Zamosc, near Ukraine, to prevent stray missiles.
“One of the reasons Germany will now support NATO’s eastern flank in Poland with the Patriot system is because we’ve seen how quickly the conflict between Russia and Ukraine can spread to NATO member states. “, Colonel Joerg Sievers told reporters in the eastern German town of Gnoien, before the missile was delivered.
Sievers, who will command the Patriot missile batteries in Poland, also emphasized the defensive nature of the system deployed on the neighboring country’s territory. “We are not the only defensive force on the ground.
The British and the Americans are also present,” he said. “Patriot is a rigorous defense system, and we hope we will be able to provide enough protection to prevent attacks or accidents like the one we did in November.”
Two people were killed when a stray Ukrainian missile landed in the Polish village of Przewodow last November. The incident raised concerns that the conflict on Ukrainian territory could spill over the border. Following the incident, Germany offered to deploy three Patriot units to Poland to help protect its airspace.
Patriot is an anti-aircraft missile developed by the US and has been in service with the country’s military since 1981. According to the Defense Agency, the Patriot PAC-2 variant can hit targets more than 96 km away and fly higher than 32,000 meters. American missile.
The newest variant in the Patriot family is the PAC-3, which can destroy air threats such as fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.