The US government has approved the sale of up to 600 missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Germany.
The U.S. government has approved the sale of up to 600 missiles and other equipment for Patriot air defense systems to Germany. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on Thursday that the arms deal, valued at $5 billion (€4.5 billion), strengthens U.S. security by enhancing the security of a NATO ally that is a key force for political and economic stability in Europe. Germany, which has supplied several Patriot systems to Ukraine, confirmed the purchase.
The sale of PAC-3 MSE Patriot missiles was reportedly approved by the U.S. Department of State. The DSCA has now officially notified the U.S. Congress, which must still approve the arms deal.
The deal will "enhance Germany's ability to address current and future threats and increase the defensive capabilities of its armed forces," the agency explained. It will also support Germany in its goal of improving its "national and territorial defense and interoperability with the armed forces of the U.S. and NATO."
A spokesperson for the German Federal Ministry of Defense confirmed the purchase on Friday. Germany intends to "acquire up to 600 Patriot air defense missiles through a government-to-government contract with the U.S. government," the spokesperson said. "The acquisition is for the ammunition stockpiling of the German Armed Forces and to replace missiles provided to Ukraine."
Germany had supplied a third Patriot system to Ukraine from its own stocks in the summer. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly asked its allies for the provision of such systems to defend against Russian air attacks.
In this context, the U.S. government's decision to approve the sale of up to 600 missiles and other equipment for Patriot air defense systems to Germany was announced by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Thursday. Subsequently, a spokesperson for the German Federal Ministry of Defense confirmed that Germany intends to acquire these missiles through a government-to-government contract with the U.S. government.
