The United States has chosen Poland as the location for the European Missile Maintenance Facility for PAC-3 interceptor missiles used in Patriot air defense systems. The Pentagon announced the decision on October 27.
The announcement was made on the margins of the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors. The new facility will be the first of its kind outside the United States and will handle repair, refurbishment, lifecycle support, and recertification of PAC-3 missiles (including the MSE and CRI variants) produced by Lockheed Martin.
According to the Polish side, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway competed for the right to host the center. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka called the decision “historic” and stressed that Poland’s bid received the highest rating from the initial stage of the process. The project is valued at approximately 1 billion zlotys (about $250 million), and it is expected to take around 12–15 months to become operational.
The Pentagon noted that establishing regional maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities directly in Europe “will dramatically shorten turnaround times and further secure critical supply lines.” Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden will be responsible for integrating key elements of the supply chain. U.S. Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey said that placing the center on NATO’s eastern flank “sends a clear message: the Alliance is united, serious about deterrence, and ready to back our words with action.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that Warsaw had actively pursued the project and competed against several ambitious rivals. The decision aligns with commitments made at the NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026 under the “NATO 3.0” concept, which aims to strengthen the role of European allies in providing for their own defense.
High demand for Patriot interceptor missiles, driven by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, has caused delivery delays and shortages. The European service center is intended to speed up the return of missiles to service, improve the readiness of allied air and missile defense forces, and strengthen collective deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank. It is a maintenance hub, not a facility for producing new missiles.
