NATO signs contract for 1,000 Patriot missiles

Up to 1,000 Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM-T) surface-to-air missiles will be provided to NATO nations under a deal signed between NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA.

While initially for a coalition of nations including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, other nations will be expected to become involved and support production and delivery of the missiles. COMLOG will also expand the production capacity of GEM-T missiles in Europe.

Along with the missiles, the contract has included qualification of updated components, addition of new suppliers, test equipment and spares to support future sustainment.

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NSPA said: ‘Patriot user nations [will] take advantage of significant benefits [and] the consolidated multinational procurement, in the spirit of the European Sky Shield Initiative, offers economies of scale and supports the expansion of production capacity for new GEM-T missiles to meet demand.

‘The new production capacity for GEM-T missiles in Europe enhances security of supply and will contribute to the replenishment of Patriot missile stockpile inventories.’

Thomas Gottschild, managing director MBDA Germany, said: ‘The order volume will enable MBDA to set up a production facility for Patriot missiles in Germany, as well as major subcomponent production. The COMLOG facility is currently the only one of its kind for the Patriot missile outside the US.’

In recent months, NSPA has ordered RBS 70 surface-to-air missiles from Saab under a contract worth SEK350 million (US$35 million) and Kongsberg will deliver Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to the Spanish Navy under a EUR305 million (US$333 million) deal contracted through NSPA.

In November, Norway, Finland and Sweden ordered 80,000 Batlskin Caiman helmet systems and accessories, the first contracts to be placed under a framework agreement signed by NSPA 12 months earlier.