US Promises to Ensure Poland's Security from Russia for $9 billion

The US is to sell Patriot anti-missile systems to NATO ally Poland, a transaction which, the State Department argues, is carried out in the name of a "safer Europe". Congress is allowing 15 days for objections to be raised, which, the German edition of Die Zeit reported on November 21, given the close defense cooperation with Poland, is extremely unlikely.

Speaking about concluding the deal with Poland, the State Department stressed: "Security in Europe, which can withstand air and missile threats, as well as other forms of aggression, is a guarantee of peace and stability not only in NATO, but also on the European continent as a whole."

The terms of the deal were agreed during the official visit of President Donald Trump to Warsaw in July this year. It is assumed that Patriot will become part of the Polish defense system in case of possible aggression from Russia. The Polish leadership is motivated by the fact that last year, the Russian government deployed a number of Iskander tactical missile systems on the territory of Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave, along the border with Poland and Lithuania, which aroused the vigilance of the Eastern European neighbor.

The Patriot system is a mobile ground-based system that provides protection against attacking missiles. Its launchers can be placed on trucks, and guided missiles can be launched from aircraft in order to destroy the target mid-air.

The deal on the purchase of military equipment between the US and Poland involves the acquisition of four radars, four control stations, 16 launchers and 208 PAC-3 rockets, as well as related additional equipment plus training. The cost of delivery of nine Patriot batteries is said to be up to $9 billion. According to preliminary estimates, the deal should bring US defense companies Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman up to $ 10.5 billion.

Earlier, the US supplied the advanced Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile systems to Japan, another ally. Now the complexes are on the air base of Yokota with the aim of striking in case of a threat from North Korea.

Dimitri Dolaberidze