Poland will host a new European maintenance hub for Patriot PAC-3 interceptors, U.S. and Polish officials announced on 28 October 2026. The facility, produced in partnership with Lockheed Martin, will service the latest generation of missiles used in NATO air defense systems.
The decision places the center on NATO’s eastern flank, with supply chain integration led by Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Duffey said the investment “puts partnership into action” and shortens turnaround times for missile maintenance. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka confirmed the project, estimating its cost at around $1 billion, with partial Polish financing.
Poland competed with Germany and Norway for the hub, which follows a 2024 U.S. decision to locate a PAC-2 interceptor production plant in Germany. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the country had “sought very hard” to secure the facility, calling it a win for transatlantic industrial cooperation. Poland has already deployed two Patriot batteries and requested six more from the U.S. in 2022, with the first two reaching full operational readiness in December 2025.
The move comes as European allies push for localized production of PAC-3 MSE interceptors to address supply chain gaps. Germany, Poland, and Ukraine have lobbied Washington to allow domestic manufacturing of the newest Lockheed Martin missiles. The U.S. statement noted the hub would reinforce deterrence along NATO’s eastern frontier.
