Poland to Buy Raytheon's Patriot Missile Defense System

By Martin M. Sobczyk

Poland's defense minister said he signed an agreement on Tuesday to buy eight Patriot missile defense systems from Raytheon Co. (RTN), after several months spent reviewing a decision made tentatively by the previous government in Warsaw.

Antoni Macierewicz said on Tuesday the first two batteries are expected in Poland by the end of 2019, to become part of a missile defense system Poland plans to build.

Mr. Macierewicz said negotiations with Raytheon were ongoing, which is why he said he wouldn't disclose the exact value of the deal. Poland-based companies will get delivery contracts under the agreement with Raytheon, he said.

Poland shares a land border with the heavily militarized Kaliningrad region of Russia and has grown increasingly nervous about its security position since Russia seized Crimea and supported separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has reacted with irritation to the buildup of Polish and U.S. military infrastructure in Central Europe. It has repeatedly threatened to target its warheads on Poland and has rehearsed attacks on the country.

Poland has for years sought forward deployment of troops and hardware by North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states. At NATO's summit in July, the allies agreed the U.S. would send about 1,000 troops to Poland while other allies would send similar forces to the Baltic countries to deter any Russian attack.

Write to Martin M. Sobczyk at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 06, 2016 11:30 ET (15:30 GMT)

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