NATO Bolsters Defenses With Major Patriot Missiles Deal

A handful of NATO members have grouped together to purchase up to 1,000 Patriot missiles as European countries work to strengthen their air defense systems in light of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced Wednesday that it is supporting a coalition of nations—including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain—with a contract to purchase the Patriot Guidance Enhance Missiles (GEM-T). The missiles are the “primary effector” for the Patriot air defense system, which is “relied upon by eight European nations for defense against cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and enemy aircraft threats,” the NSPA said in its release.

“The consolidated multinational procurement, in the spirit of the European Sky Shield Initiative, offers economies of scale and supports the expansion of production capacity for new GEM-T missiles to meet increasing demand,” the statement from the NSPA said.

A Patriot missile system is pictured during the German Chancellor’s visit at the military part of the airport in Cologne-Wahn, western Germany, where he attended a demonstration of the German army’s Homeland Defence Command, on October 23, 2023. Four NATO members have joined together to purchase up to 1,000 Patriot missiles as European countries work to boost their air defense systems.
INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

The Sky Shield initiative, which is being led by Germany, was first introduced in the fall of 2022, nearly six months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Ten country members signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2023 to further develop the Sky Shield, which NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said “demonstrates the clear commitment of European Allies to fair burden sharing as well.”

The contract for the Patriot missiles was awarded to COMLOG, a joint venture between the military defense contractors Raytheon and MBDA Missile Systems. According to a release from Raytheon’s parent company, the deal is worth up to $5.6 billion.

“I welcome Allies’ timely announcement to invest in up to 1,000 new Patriot air defense missiles to bolster the Alliance’s security,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. “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,” Stoltenberg continued. “Scaling-up ammunition production is key for Ukraine’s security and for ours.”

Newsweek reached out to the NSPA via email on Wednesday for further comment.

Tensions have ramped up in recent months between Moscow and NATO members who support Kyiv’s military against the Russian invasion. Several member countries have warned of facing a potential war with Russia if conflict spills out of Ukraine.

Last week, Lieutenant General Martin Wijnen, commander of the Netherlands army, said in an interview that his country “should be seriously afraid of war, and our society should prepare for it.”

President Joe Biden also issued a warning after Russia launched a massive aerial attack on Ukraine last Friday, saying that if “dictators and autocrats” like Russian President Vladimir Putin “are allowed to run roughshod in Europe, the risk rises that the United States gets pulled in directly.”