Poland joins Ukraine-led coalition developing cheaper alternative to Patriot missile defence

Poland has formally joined a coalition with Ukraine and other European countries seeking to develop a new anti-ballistic missile system designed as a cheaper alternative to the US-made Patriot system.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Poland’s participation on September 18, saying the countries involved had agreed the framework for Warsaw to join the project.

The initiative was first announced in July by Ukraine and nine European countries and is intended to combine their defence industries in developing a new system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.

Tusk also said Poland has prepared another “significant” military aid package for Ukraine, although details of that package were not immediately disclosed.

Attempt to reduce cost of missile defence

Patriot systems provide Ukraine and NATO members with one of their principal defences against ballistic missiles.

But the missiles used to intercept incoming weapons are expensive and available in limited quantities, making replenishment an increasingly important consideration during a prolonged conflict.

The European coalition is seeking to develop an alternative that can be produced more cheaply while retaining an effective anti-ballistic capability.

Poland’s participation adds one of NATO’s largest defence spenders and a country already investing heavily in air and missile defence to the programme.

The project remains a development initiative rather than an operational replacement for Patriot.

There is no guarantee yet that the coalition will successfully produce a system with comparable capabilities, achieve its intended lower cost or manufacture it at the required scale.

But its objective reflects a growing problem confronting European defence planners.

Missile defence depends not only on whether an interceptor can destroy an incoming weapon, but on how many interceptors can be manufactured, how quickly they can be replaced and how much each engagement costs.

Poland has now joined Ukraine and its European partners in attempting to change those economics.

Sources

• Reuters – Poland joins anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine