Poland will host a European service center for PAC-3 missiles used in Patriot systems, the Pentagon announced Tuesday. It is a signal that the alliance is united, takes deterrence seriously and is ready to act, said Michael Duffey, the U.S. deputy secretary of war for procurement.
The U.S. Department of Defense (also called the Department of War) said in a statement that on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a meeting of the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), the United States, working with Lockheed Martin and European allies, announced that Poland had been chosen to host a European maintenance center for PAC-3 missiles.
The Pentagon stressed that the new facility will rely on “close industrial cooperation on both sides of the Atlantic, with Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden responsible for integrating key elements of the supply chain.”
On Tuesday, Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka announced at NATO headquarters in Brussels that the service center for PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems would be built in Poland. She called it a “historic decision” and said Poland had competed with Germany, the Netherlands and Norway for the location of the investment.
“Equipping our troops (with combat capabilities) — always and everywhere — is how we deter adversaries and strengthen our common defense,” said Michael Duffey, the U.S. deputy secretary of war for procurement.
“Today’s announcement turns partnership into concrete action. By investing national funds in building these critical maintenance capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank, allies are sending a clear signal: The Alliance is united, takes deterrence seriously and is ready to back up our words with concrete action,” he added.
The Pentagon stressed that “this breakthrough is a direct implementation of the historic defense industry commitments made at the NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026 as part of the NATO 3.0 concept.”
The department added that it will speed up efforts to strengthen the region’s resilience and enable European allies to take on greater responsibility for their own conventional defense.
Regional maintenance and repair capabilities in Europe will significantly shorten equipment servicing times. The center will also help secure key supply chains, the statement said.
In addition, the Pentagon said, the facility will substantially increase the operational readiness of allied air and missile defense forces, making it possible to rapidly scale up their capabilities in a crisis and strengthening the credibility of joint deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank.
The Pentagon noted that the initiative is rooted in direct support for troops. “Combining allied investment with the most advanced U.S. defense technologies directly translates the industrial potential of nations on both sides of the Atlantic into real combat power: keeping launchers ready for use, ensuring continuity of key operations and guaranteeing that NATO allies are ready to fight today,” the Pentagon wrote.
From Washington, Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)
