Germany will transfer Patriot missile systems from Slovakia to Lithuania to help ensure security for the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
Germany will provide land, air, and sea-based equipment to protect the NATO summit on July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the German Defence Ministry announced on May 26. They stated that they will deploy units currently stationed on NATO's eastern flank or capable of operating from Germany.
The German Ministry of Defence announced that it will transfer the Patriot missile systems currently stationed in Slovakia to Lithuania, and spare parts will also be shipped from Poland to the country.
The German military has pledged to continue supporting Slovakia in defending its airspace. Germany has deployed Patriot missile systems on its territory since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz answers questions at a press conference in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, on May 26. Photo: AFP
On May 26, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz affirmed his determination to protect the Baltic states during a visit to Estonia.
"We are ready to defend every inch of NATO territory against attacks," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz affirmed during a meeting with his Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian counterparts in Tallinn.
The air defense capabilities of the US Patriot missile system. Click on the image for details. Graphics: Raytheon, RIA Novosti
The Patriot is an air defense missile developed by the United States and has been in service with the US military since 1981. The Patriot PAC-2 variant can hit targets more than 96 km away and fly at altitudes exceeding 32,000 m, according to the US Missile Defense Agency.
The latest variant in the Patriot family is the PAC-3, capable of destroying airborne threats such as fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
In April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Ukrainian President Zelensky had accepted an invitation to attend the alliance's summit in Lithuania in July. On May 26, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed hope that his country could join NATO by the time the alliance holds its summit.
Locations of NATO member states and countries that are/want to join the alliance. Graphic: Tien Thanh.
Duc Trung (According to AP, DPA )
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