Stationing until the end of 2023
Pistorius leaves Patriots longer on Poland’s border
8/8/2023, 9:12 p.m
The Russian invasion of the neighboring country awakens a special need for security in the Poles. Federal Defense Minister Pistorius wants to take this into account. That is why he will not withdraw three German air defense systems near the border with Ukraine as planned.
The German government has offered Poland the possibility of extending the deployment of German Patriot air defense systems until the end of the year. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Defense. The systems made “a valuable contribution to the protection of the civilian population and our alliance area on the eastern flank as part of the integrated NATO air defence”.
The three German Patriot squadrons have been deployed in Zamosc in south-eastern Poland since January to protect the country’s airspace. The city is not far from the border with Ukraine. The Patriot systems were originally supposed to be stationed there for a maximum of six months. At a meeting with Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in early July, his Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak expressed hope that the stationing would be extended.
With the offer, the security needs of the Polish friends are taken into account, Pistorius said according to the announcement. “We are still at your side as a reliable partner. During my recent visit to Poland, I experienced the close cooperation between the armed forces on site – I saw how the German-Polish relationship has grown in this joint project,” said Pistorius.
According to the ministry, an extension beyond the current year is not planned. In 2024, as part of the NATO Response Force (NRF), the Patriot systems would make an important contribution to the alliance’s deterrence and defense capabilities, the ministry said. The preparations for this are already beginning. “Urgently needed personnel and material regeneration measures are necessary”.