NATO agrees on deal to buy 1,000 Patriot missiles for coalition members.

NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced a deal on Jan.

3 for the purchase of 1,000 Patriot air defense missiles for coalition members, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain. The contract includes all the relevant components and spare parts and stems from a joint venture between NSPA and COMLOG, which is itself split between the arms manufacturer MDBA Germany and Raytheon, one of the largest U.S. defense contractors. AP reported that unnamed industry sources said the deal could be worth around £5.5 billion.

The deal will also necessitate the expansion of arms manufacturing capabilities in Europe, the press release said, including the opening of a production facility for Patriot missiles in Germany. "Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns show how important modern air defenses are," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "Scaling up ammunition production is key for Ukraine's security and for ours." Ukraine also has Patriot systems, some of the most advanced air defense systems the country possesses.

Ukraine received its first Patriot systems in April 2023 and soon after proved their effectiveness by downing air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles, lauded by Moscow as "unstoppable hypersonic" weapons. The Japanese Foreign Ministry announced on Dec.

22 that the country had changed the rules on weapons exports and would send Patriot missiles to the U.S., paving the way for the U.S. to replenish its stocks while potentially sending Ukraine some of its own current supply.

Patriot air defense faces its toughest challenge ever in Ukraine The wait is over -- after almost a year of refusals and hesitation, Western-provided MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems have finally arrived and become operational in Ukraine.

On April 21 and 26, Ukraine's Air Force confirmed the full employment of two Patriot batteries.

As Ukraine's own Soviet-er...