Patriots in Sweden, Germany and Poland
Launch of a PAC-2 missile from a German Patriot system launcher during the Rocket Firing Facility (NAMFI) at a NATO test site in Crete in 2016.
There are many signs that an agreement will finally be signed at the end of March on the implementation of the first phase of the Vistula program, the medium-range air and missile defense system that many consider the most important. Polish Armed Forces Modernization Program as part of the Polish Armed Forces Technical Modernization Plan for 2013–2022. This will be another European success for Patriot system manufacturers in the last dozen or so months. In 2017, Romania signed a contract for the purchase of the American system, and the decision to purchase it was made by the government of the Kingdom of Sweden.
Emotions around the purchase of the Patriot by Poland do not subside, although at the current stage of the Vistula program they no longer focus on the question of the correct choice of this particular system and its real or imaginary advantages and disadvantages. – but on the final configuration and the resulting procurement costs, delivery times, and the extent of cooperation with the Polish defense industry. Statements by representatives of the Ministry of National Defense over the last ten or so days have not dispelled these doubts ... However, given that both the Ministry of National Defense and representatives of the main system manufacturer and its key sub-suppliers agree that almost everything has been agreed and agreed in early February, in conjunction with netting agreements, it is worth waiting a few days or a few weeks and discussing the facts, and not speculating. The current turmoil in Polish-American relations, caused by Poland's adoption of an amendment to the Law on the Institute of National Remembrance, probably should not affect the signing of an agreement with Poland, so the March deadline seems realistic.
Patriots are closing in on Sweden
Last year, Sweden decided to purchase the Patriot system, while the American proposal, as in 2015 in Poland, was considered more profitable than the offer of the European MBDA group offering the SAMP/T system. In Sweden, the Patriots are to replace the RBS 97 HAWK system, also made in the US. Despite systematic modernization, the Swedish Hawks not only do not meet the requirements of the modern battlefield, but also inevitably come to the end of their technical viability.
On November 7, 2017, the government of the Kingdom of Sweden officially announced its intention to purchase the Patriot system from the US government as part of the Foreign Military Sales procedure and sent a letter of request (LOR) to the Americans about this. The answer came on February 20 of this year, when the US State Department announced the approval of a potential sale to Sweden of four Raytheon Patriot firing units in the Configuration 3+ PDB-8 version. A published export application approved by Congress lists a package of equipment and services that could cost up to $3,2 billion. The Swedish list includes: four AN/MPQ-65 radar stations, four AN/MSQ-132 fire control and command posts, nine (one spare) AMG antenna assemblies, four EPP III power generators, twelve M903 launchers and 300 guided missiles. (100 MIM-104E GEM-T and 200 MIM-104F ITU). In addition, the delivery set should include: communication equipment, control equipment, tools, spare parts, vehicles, including tractors, as well as the necessary documentation, as well as logistical and training support.
As can be seen from the above conclusion, Sweden - following the example of Romania - settled on the Patriot as a standard from the "shelf". As in the case of Romania, the above list does not include elements of the control system that go beyond the battery level, such as the Information Coordination Center (ICC) and Tactical Control Center (TCS) used at the Patriot battalion level, which may indicate the intention to purchase in the future, new elements of the air defense control system currently being developed as part of the Integrated Air and Missile Combat Control System (IBCS) program.
The signing of the contract with Sweden should take place in the first half of the year and will not depend on negotiations on an accompanying offset package. This is done to reduce costs and speed up deliveries, which will begin as early as 2020, 24 months after the signing of the contract. However, it is almost certain that the Swedish defense industry will receive certain benefits as a result of the adoption of the Patriots, primarily in terms of ensuring their operation, and then modernization. This may be through separate government agreements or commercial deals. It is possible that this deal will affect the scale of purchases of Swedish construction and manufacturing equipment by the US armed forces.
