Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz signed a deal with US defence giant Raytheon to produce dozens of Patriot missile launchers, which he described as a step toward "strengthening Polish security".
ADVERTISEMENTRepresentatives from Polish arms company Huta Stalowa Wola and US defence contractor Raytheon signed an agreement on Monday to produce 48 Patriot launchers for the Polish army.
The agreement, guaranteeing the formation of six Patriot missile batteries, was signed between company representatives in the town of Sochaczew.
The contract stipulates Huta Stalowa Wola will manufacture the weaponry scheduled to be delivered starting in 2027.
Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz lauded the deal as proof of "our government betting so strongly on security," he said.
"We are investing in the Polish defence industry, in the armed forces of the republic for the security of us and our allies".
It comes as Warsaw politicians, such as Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, have repeatedly called for reinforced defences, as fears Russia's war in Ukraine could spill over into Europe's eastern countries like Poland, as well as Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
US Ambassador to Warsaw Mark Brzezinski said the production of these weapons is emblematic of the "intrinsic trust between Poland and America".
"This defence system intercepts missile and drones, it protects cities and critical infrastructure," he said.
"For Poland, the Patriot enhances not only our ability to protect the skies above NATO territory, but also our military interoperability".
The weapons system is a "powerful deterrent" for NATO's 700-kilometre eastern flank, Brzezinski said. Of this stretch, Poland shares a 230-kilometre border with Russia.