Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks March 31, 2025, in Sochaczew, Poland, at the signing of a $2 billion agreement with the United States for training and logistical support tied to its Patriot missile defense systems. (Polish government)
Poland is hailing a $2 billion agreement this week with the United States for training and logistical support tied to its Patriot missile systems as a significant development in a program to upgrade the key NATO ally’s air defenses.
Signed Monday in Sochaczew, the deal includes equipment, technical assistance and simulation-based training tools. The package will help a Polish air defense squadron reach full operational capability by the end of the year, officials said in a Monday statement.
“Poland is an exceptional example of good cooperation for the defense and security of Poland, the U.S., NATO and Europe,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in the statement. “Regardless of political turbulence, Poland will be here ... a country that respects alliances and respects all agreements.”
Poland now spends over 4% of its gross domestic product on defense, the highest level in NATO. It has purchased U.S.-made Abrams tanks, HIMARS rocket systems, F-35 fighters, and South Korean K2 tanks and K9 howitzers.
The latest deal with the U.S. furthers Poland’s push to modernize its medium-range air defenses and bolster its ability to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
“This is an important moment,” Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said, adding that the investment will allow Polish troops to train in simulated attacks and respond with increasing readiness.
The Polish and American flags hang between a Patriot air defense missile system March 31, 2025, at the signing of a $2 billion agreement with the U.S. in Sochaczew, Poland, under the second phase of the country's WISLA program. (Polish government)
Poland’s Patriot launchers operate within the U.S. Army’s Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS. Poland is the only country besides the United States to field the advanced networked system, according to developer Northrop Grumman.
Meanwhile, in the coming weeks the U.S. Army’s Germany-based 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is set to become the first operational U.S. Patriot battalion to field the IBCS.
The Polish air defense initiative is part of a broader military overhaul that gained urgency following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In recent years, Russian missiles and drones have entered Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine, including a suspected drone incursion in August.
