Poland signed a major defense deal worth $1.23 billion on Monday for the production of 48 M903 launchers that form part of the high-profile U.S. Patriot air defense system.
The deal was signed between the defense contractor Raytheon Polska and Huta Stalowa Wola S.A., a Polish military equipment manufacturer, at a military base in Sochaczew, central Poland.
Raytheon produces the Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system, which is considered the gold standard against incoming threats such as tactical ballistic missiles. It forms part of the U.S. aerospace and defense organization RTX headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland's minister of national defense and deputy prime minister, said that Monday's contract signing was a "great achievement," and added that the launchers would be produced in Poland.
"Security is a fundamental and priority issue. Security that must be present in every Polish home. I would like to thank all those who made this happen, because the launchers that are behind me will be manufactured in Poland," he said during his visit on Monday.
"This is also the fulfillment of our promise—50 percent of armament expenditure should be invested in companies that operate on the territory of the Republic of Poland."
U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "This initiative and partnership is an example of our deep trust in Poland and the close cooperation between our countries. Cooperation between our countries makes us safer every day."
The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw added: "The cooperation between the United States and Poland under the Wisła air and missile defense program demonstrates our unwavering commitment to jointly produce and field state-of-the-art defense capabilities on NATO's eastern flank."
Poland's Ministry of Defense said that Patriot systems form a core part of the country's air defenses. Their primary tasks are to counter short-range tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, fighter jets and attack drones.
The demand for Patriot systems has increased substantially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Kyiv has used its Patriots to take out a slew of Russian aircraft, according to Ukraine's military. The systems are also credited with intercepting a number of Russia's supposedly unstoppable Kinzhal missiles, which the Kremlin has described as hypersonic weapons.
Monday's announcement represents the start of phase two of Poland's Wisła program, an expansion of the country's air defense network. In the first phase of the program, Poland acquired two Patriot system batteries, including 16 launchers. Poland first signed a deal with the U.S. to buy the Patriot systems in 2018.
Poland has made defense spending a top priority in recent years, increasing it to more than 4 percent of its GDP this year. It aims to increase it to 5 percent in 2025.
Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, told Bloomberg in July: "Poland spends 4 [percent of GDP on defense] and we are going to spend 5 next year...we are number one in NATO, including the United States, in proportion obviously, because we are no longer in eternal post-Cold War peace."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the European Union to create a Europe-wide air defense system earlier this year.
"The current fragmented landscape is simply not up to today's needs and requirements," Tusk wrote in a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, in May. "Europe will be safe as long as the skies over it are safe."
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