US Patriot battery stationed in Poland to be replaced
A Polish deputy defence minister has announced that the US Patriot air-defence battery currently deployed in Poland will be replaced by a battery from another part of the world.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that US President Joe Biden was expected to approve the transfer of another Patriot anti-aircraft system to Ukraine, which would come from the US military in Poland. A battery of US Patriots is currently stationed in Poland, which, among other things, protects the logistical hub of the south eastern city of Rzeszow, through which much of the equipment aid goes to Ukraine. The New York Times did not specify whether it was the entire system (eight launchers with radars and other equipment) or just some elements of it.
Cezary Tomczyk posted on the X platform on Thursday that the US battery would be replaced. He also wrote that the Polish Patriot batteries, which are in the process of being built into a comprehensive air-defence system, will not be transferred.
"The US battery will be replaced by a battery from a different part of the world," Tomczyk wrote on the X platform. "Poland has not agreed to the transfer of a Polish battery.
"Polish Patriots defend the Polish sky and this will not change," he added.
In recent months, the Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly appealed to Western partners to support the Ukrainian armed forces with further anti-aircraft systems - including, in particular, Patriot batteries - to provide protection for the Ukrainian army, cities and infrastructure regularly attacked by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in April that Ukraine needed at least seven additional Patriot batteries for effective air defence.
So far, the US has sent one Patriot system to Ukraine. In recent weeks, the Netherlands and Germany, among others, have pledged to donate the needed equipment.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced in April that there was no possibility that Poland would transfer a Patriot battery to Ukraine. This is because Poland is only at the early stages of implementing these systems into the armed forces - the first two batteries are expected to reach operational readiness by the end of this year. In contrast, the next six batteries ordered will not start arriving in Poland until 2026.
Later on Thursday, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said that the US was not planning any changes when it came to the defence of Polish skies with the Patriot systems.
Austin is attending a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. (PAP)
em/mf/mj/jd
