NATO members in Europe have signed a contract for up to 1,000 Patriot missiles to bolster air defences in the face of the threat from Russia, the alliance said.

NATO To Buy 1,000 Patriot Missiles

NATO members in Europe have signed a contract for up to 1,000 Patriot missiles to bolster air defences in the face of the threat from Russia, the alliance said. The announcement of the contract, estimated to be worth $5.5 billion, comes as Moscow has unleashed repeated barrages of deadly missile and drone strikes against Ukraine in recent days. Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the “timely announcement to invest in up to 1,000 new Patriot air defence missiles to bolster the alliance’s security”.

“Europe will produce 1,000 Patriot air defence missiles itself. This shows that European cooperation ensures concrete successes,” Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren wrote on social media.

Patriot Missiles In Ukraine

NATO allies including the United States and Germany have sent US-made Patriot systems to Ukraine where they have been used to shoot down attacks by Russia’s hypersonic missiles. Patriot missiles are estimated to cost around $4 million each and NATO said the deal also includes other elements including test equipment and spare parts for future maintenance.

Designer: Raytheon, Hughes, and RCA

Designed: 1969

Manufacturer: Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance of 31 member states – 29 European and two North American.

Founded: 4 April 1949, Washington, D.C., USA

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium