Netherlands to deploy Patriot missiles near Russian border

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Mar 2024 09:23

The Netherlands has unveiled its intentions to dispatch a Patriot air defense unit to Lithuania, a fellow NATO member, as part of an upcoming joint air defense exercise slated for the summer.

Illustrative: Patriot missile launchers acquired from the US last year are seen deployed in Warsaw, Poland on February 6, 2023. (AP)

The Netherlands has announced plans to send a Patriot air defense unit to Lithuania, a NATO ally, as part of a joint air defense exercise scheduled for the summer, as per a recent announcement from the Dutch Defense Ministry.

In a press release, the Dutch military said that the exercise, spanning several weeks, aims to bolster air defenses along the eastern flank.

The primary objective is to assess NATO troops' capacity to rapidly transport and deploy air defense systems within a designated deployment area, as per the press release.

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said that the decision to deploy a US-made system near the Russian border serves to enhance NATO air defense readiness.

Lithuania urges more NATO deployments

Lithuania has expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming exercise, considering it excellent news. The Dutch will be practicing the rapid redeployment of air defense units alongside the Lithuanian armed forces.

Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas emphasized the importance of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence forces for Baltic states' security, urging for more deployments and exercises involving NATO aircraft and ground-based air defense systems in Lithuania.

The duration of the Dutch Patriot deployment in Lithuania remains unclear.

A single battery of the Patriot air defense system comprises various truck-mounted units, including power, radar, antenna, engagement control, and support vehicles, along with up to eight launchers equipped with interceptor missiles.

Russia has criticized NATO's heightened military spending and intensified military drills, characterizing them as indicative of an "increasingly aggressive nature" of the US-led military bloc. According to Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev, these exercises simulate scenarios of armed confrontation with Russia, exacerbating tensions and destabilizing global security dynamics.