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NATO has recently announced that its procurement division will support a group of member countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain, in a contract to acquire up to 1,000 Patriot anti-aircraft missiles.
The agency awarded a production and delivery contract to COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA, NATO announced, adding that European missile production will be expanded. "Consolidated multinational acquisitions in the spirit of the European Sky Shield Initiative provide economies of scale and support the expansion of the production capacity of the new GEM-T missiles to meet increasing demand," NATO said in a statement.
“I welcome Allies’ timely announcement to invest in up to 1,000 new Patriot air defense missiles to bolster the Alliance’s security,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the official press release. “This investment shows the strength of transatlantic defense cooperation and NATO’s commitment to keeping our people safe. Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities, and towns show how important modern air defenses are. Scaling-up ammunition production is key for Ukraine’s security and ours.”
In December, the Ministry of Defense asked for the Parliament's approval for a major new purchase: 200 PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for Patriot anti-air systems already in operation by the armed forces. The program is estimated at over EUR 1 billion, with an advance of 35% to be paid by the end of 2023 or in the first three months of 2024.
PAC-2 GEM-T missiles are the most modern versions of the PAC-2 missiles, which can engage various types of targets, from enemy aircraft, drones, or helicopters, to cruise missiles or, in particular, tactical ballistic missiles. The PAC 2 GEM-T missile has an operational range of about 160 kilometers and a ceiling of 32,000 meters. The missiles use semi-active radar guidance and destroy targets by exploding near them. The PAC-2 GEM-T missiles are also the largest in the Patriot system in terms of dimensions, with a maximum of four per launcher. Ukraine has successfully used the Patriot system with PAC-2 missiles, managing in a certain instance to deliver a huge blow to Russian aviation. Using PAC-2 missiles launched from Ukrainian territory, Kyiv's forces shot down in Russia a SU-24 bomber, an SU-35S fighter jet, and two Mil Mi-8 military helicopters, according to Profit.ro.
The Patriot system is the newest and most expensive system in the Romanian Army's arsenal. Romania paid about USD 3.9 billion for seven new Patriot anti-air systems, in the latest available configuration, bundled with several hundred interceptors. To date, four Patriot systems have been delivered.
(Photo source: Angel Tilvar on Facebook)
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