The German Federal Ministry of Defence on March 17, 2022, Germany has approved the deployment of two of Patriot air defense missile systems to Slovakia. During the NATO Defense Ministers meeting that was held in Brussels, Belgium, on March 16, 2022, the Government of the Netherlands has also announced the sending of two Patriot missile systems to Slovakia. The Patriot missile defence system to Sliac, Slovakia, as part of NATO moves to strengthen air defences in Eastern Europe. The worsened safety situation in Europe as a reasult of the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes this contribution necessary.
In February 2022, it was announced the deployment of a NATO BattleGroup in Slovakia. Soldiers from Germany will support the multinational Battlegroup and the integrated NATO air defense with their Patriot air defense missile system. With the 37 Armoured Infantry Brigade “Freistaat Sachsen”, the German Army has already begun providing military personnel for the NATO Response Force (NRF) 2022-2024. This brigade will also assume the special role of lead element for the multinational land components of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTFVery High Readiness Joint Task Force), the so-called spearhead of NATO.
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the U.S. defence contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target” which is a backronym for PATRIOT. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given the function of the U.S. Army’s anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system, which is now Patriot’s primary mission. The system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.
German Air Force Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 1 (Air Defence Missile Wing 1) or (FlaRakG 1) “Schleswig-Holstein” is a unit of the German Air Force based in Stadum and Husum, Northern Germany. The wing is equipped with 20 MIM-104C/F Patriot PAC-2/PAC-3 air defense missile systems. Based on the agreement between Germany and The Netherlands signed in 2013, the Air Defence Missile Group 61 (Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61) will be integrated in The Netherlands ground-based Air Defence Organisation as part of the close cooperation between both countries from 2016 onwards. The formal transformation under Dutch command was established in April 2018.
Germany ?? and the Netherlands ?? are deploying Patriot batteries to Slia? airbase, Slovakia ??
Part of @NATO Integrated Air & Missile Defence it is an essential, continuous mission that safeguards Alliance territory and populations against any air and missile threat and attack. pic.twitter.com/lwA50dgIdi
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) March 20, 2022
