Poland: Poland on Tuesday joined a multinational initiative to establish a European maintenance hub for Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles, becoming one of five participating countries alongside the US, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on US social media company X.

According to Anadolu Agency, the initiative will see the participating countries cooperate in servicing and maintaining PAC-3 interceptor missiles, a key component of the Patriot air defense system used by NATO allies and supplied to Ukraine to defend against Russian missile attacks. 'To those who have spent recent days claiming that Poland is losing its defense capabilities, we are proving how wrong they are,' Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X.

The announcement reflects Warsaw's growing role in NATO's integrated air and missile defense architecture as allies seek to expand Europe's defense industrial base and improve readiness following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It also reinforces Poland's position as one of the alliance's principal military hubs on NATO's eastern flank.

By joining the maintenance program, Poland is set to become part of the long-term logistical network supporting one of NATO's most advanced air and missile defense systems. The project is also expected to strengthen Poland's defense industry by expanding domestic expertise in servicing Patriot missile technology.

The announcement comes days after the minister confirmed that Poland had donated Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine at the request of NATO and US military commanders, a move that drew criticism from some opposition politicians and allies of President Karol Nawrocki.