Poland beats Germany, Netherlands and Norway to host Europe's only PAC-3 missile service hub

Poland has been selected to host Europe's sole service centre for PAC-3 interceptor missiles, used in the US-made Patriot air-defence system, Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka announced on Tuesday.

Three countries had competed for the contract — Germany, the Netherlands and Norway — making the outcome what Sobkowiak-Czarnecka called "historic". The facility would be the only one of its kind outside the United States, and its cost is estimated at roughly 1 billion Polish zlotys, equivalent to about $253 million. It is expected to become fully operational within approximately one year.

PAC-3 missiles are currently shipped to the United States for servicing, a round-trip that Washington sought to shorten by establishing a European hub. The WZE electronics plant in Zielonka, about 15 kilometres northeast of Warsaw, is widely seen as the leading candidate site. Under a 2019 agreement with manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the plant already produces and services key PAC-3 MSE components.

The decision carries direct relevance for Ukraine: as of 15 October, Ukraine had reportedly depleted its stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles, and the PAC-3 is among the few weapons capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said the Polish bid had been the highest rated since the application stage and thanked Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz for their support. Warsaw has long seen the project as a stepping stone toward domestic Patriot missile production.