US-based company Raytheon Missiles & Defense and MBDA Deutschland have collaborated to develop a strategic roadmap to facilitate the production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Germany.
The roadmap will support the deployment of the Patriot system with the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) until 2048.
With the new roadmap, the companies aim to address the German Armed Forces’ potential requirements for Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM-T) interceptor missiles by facilitating production work in Germany.
In addition, the roadmap will expand the possibilities of delivering the German-made Patriot GEM-Ts to other operators in different nations across Europe.
MBDA Deutschland and Raytheon have now been working together for more than three decades to support the availability of the Patriot missile defence system with the German forces.
This work is supported through the Raytheon-MBDA joint venture (JV), called COMLOG.
The JV also acts as a Patriot service provider for the German armed forces by providing the required maintenance and logistics services.
MBDA Deutschland managing director Thomas Gottschild said: “With our partner RMD, COMLOG as an existing JV of our companies, the test and reference facility in Freinhausen, and the possibilities at our company locations, we have ideal conditions to jointly provide Patriot until 2048.”
According to MBDA, the Patriot long-range air defence system has become a crucial component for Nato and German air defence, providing the capability to defeat a wide range of existing adversaries, while acting as ‘a credible deterrent’.
Raytheon Missile & Defense Land Warfare & Air Defence president Tom Laliberty said: “Our successful COMLOG JV with MBDA plays a key role in missile maintenance and logistics.
“By enabling COMLOG to produce GEM-T in Germany, we are also expanding the capacity to deliver this mission-critical interception system to Patriot’s partner nations in Europe.”
