US State Dept approves potential $6.6b sale of Patriot missiles to Nato ally Germany
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Germany (above) has nine Patriot air defence units, after donating three to Ukraine to help in Kyiv’s fight against Russian invasion.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - The US State Department has approved the possible sale of up to 600 Patriot air defence missiles to Nato ally Germany for an estimated cost of US$5 billion (S$6.6 billion), the Pentagon said on Aug 15.
“The proposed sale will improve Germany’s capability to meet current and future threats and increase the defensive capabilities of its military,” the Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Under new Nato defence plans, Germany will need to quadruple its air defences to protect infrastructure and military forces in the event of severe tensions or a war, one security source told Reuters in July.
Germany had 36 Patriot air defence units, which launch missiles, when it was Nato’s front-line state during the Cold War. Today, German forces are down to nine Patriot units, after donating three to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.
The prime contractor for the possible sale, which includes related equipment and technical assistance, will be Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon agency said.
The agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Aug 15. REUTERS
