U.S. Patriot missile batteries from the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, seen at sunset in Poland in 2022. NATO has taken command and control from the United States of air defense efforts in the country, according to U.S. military officials. ( Christopher Smith/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — NATO has taken command and control from the United States of air defense in Poland, where an Army Patriot missile team also is expected to soon be replaced, according to U.S. military officials.
NATO’s new role as the command hub for air defense in Poland is the latest push to have the alliance shoulder more responsibility, U.S. Army Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for Supreme Headquarters Allied Power Europe, said Monday.
“This milestone would not have been possible without NATO Allied Air Command, Poland as hosting nation and so many others, and the recent contributions of Germany and Norway,” O’Donnell said of the command shift, which went into effect Thursday.
The previously U.S.-led air defense mission in Poland, launched in the aftermath of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, is focused on safeguarding allied logistics nodes used for getting weaponry into Ukraine.
Last month, NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine began taking over work previously led by U.S. European Command’s Security Assistance Group–Ukraine, which is located at the Army’s Europe headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany.
“The support of nations is vital to this effort, which is crucial to Ukraine and its ability to prevail,” O’Donnell said.
The moves come ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House. NATO officials have characterized the establishment of an alliance command to oversee efforts for assisting Ukraine as a way to bring more stability and predictability to the mission.
Some alliance observers also have described the shift as an attempt to “Trump-proof” Ukraine support initiatives, given Trump’s past statements about reducing military aid to the country.
But having allies play a more prominent role in coordinating Ukraine aid and defending airspace also could signal to Trump that NATO members are stepping up. Trump has long complained that European allies are overly reliant on the U.S. military for defense.
Since 2022, U.S. troops have been at the center of air defense in Poland, where the Army has repeatedly deployed Patriot batteries near Poland’s border with Ukraine.
That mission is now being filled by the Baumholder, Germany-based 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, which began a nine-month rotation in July, according to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
Soon, a European NATO ally is poised to play the lead role in that effort. Germany announced in November that it will send one of its Patriot units to Poland in early 2025 to undertake the mission now being carried out by U.S. troops.
