German military may disband Patriot air defence units in Poland, Slovakia this year

Berlin: As Berlin strives to make the most of its constrained military resources, it has been reported that the German military may disband its Patriot anti-defence units in NATO allies Slovakia and Poland this year.

“The nations have been informed about the plans,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence was quoted as saying by Funke media group.

According to the spokeswoman, the deployment in Poland should terminate in June while the one in Slovakia would stop by the end of the year.

After two men were killed by a stray Ukrainian missile that struck the Polish town of Przewodow in November, Berlin promised to send three of its Patriot units to Poland to assist safeguard its airspace.

While the Patriot air defence system began arriving in Slovakia from NATO partner nations last March, just after the start of the war in Ukraine, to assist boost the protection of NATO’s eastern border, Germany sent the first two of the three units to Poland in January.

The German government has also delivered a Patriot system from army stocks will also be delivered to Ukraine this year.

Germany had 36 Patriot units when it was NATO’s frontline state during the Cold War. Today, the German forces are down to 11 Patriot units.

“If the situation allows it, it makes sense to change the situation. We need the flexibility because we don’t have an infinite amount of equipment,” Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the head of the German parliament’s defence committee was quoted as saying by Funke.

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