US taps Poland to host European PAC-3 missile maintenance facility

WARSAW, Poland — The United States government has selected Poland to host a new European maintenance facility for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors, produced by Lockheed Martin, according to U.S. and Polish officials.

“Today’s announcement puts partnership into action. By investing national resources to establish this critical sustainment capability on NATO’s Eastern Front, Allies are sending a clear message: the Alliance is united, serious about deterrence, and ready to back our words with action,” Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Duffey was quoted as saying in a statement.

This new regional hub will rely on transatlantic industrial cooperation, with critical supply chain integration to be led by Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, according to the statement. The investment is expected to shorten turnaround times and reinforce deterrence along the alliance’s eastern flank.

“Poland has sought very hard to have these competencies and infrastructure in Poland. We were contending against several ambitious competitors,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

The latest development comes as European allies are advancing talks with the U.S. on the possibility of enabling local production of PAC-3 MSE interceptors, seeking to address supply chain shortfalls. Alongside Germany, the governments of Poland and Ukraine, among others, have also lobbied Washington to allow the newest generation of Lockheed Martin missiles to be manufactured at domestic facilities.

In March 2018, Poland signed a contract worth around $4.75 billion to acquire two Configuration 3+ batteries for the country’s mid-range air-defense system. The country launched the program’s second phase in May 2022, requesting the U.S. to deliver a further six Patriot batteries with related gear. In December 2025, the Polish government announced that the first two batteries reached full operational readiness.