The Netherlands will bring the Patriot system to Lithuania

The Netherlands will deploy the Patriot air defense system in Lithuania this week.

This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania, whose statement is cited by LRT, writes “Europavska Pravda”.

< The Patriot long-range air defense system will be delivered for the Baltic Connection 24 exercises, which Lithuania will host for the first time from July 7 to 19. The system will be loaded in the port of Amsterdam on July 2, it will arrive in Lithuania on July 6.

The air defense battalion of the Lithuanian Air Force with NASAMS medium-range air defense systems, the Patriot system of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Spanish and Portuguese fighters will take part in the exercise. perform the NATO mission of patrolling the Baltic airspace, as well as the Air Operations Center and aircraft of the Air Force of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

“The deployment of the Patriot air defense system in exercises in Lithuania is the first step in the implementation of the decision made at the last year's NATO summit in Vilnius, on the creation of a rotational air defense model to strengthen NATO's integrated air and missile defense”, – the ministry noted.

During the exercises, the issues of redeployment and integration of forces and assets, joint command and control, as well as air defense operations will be worked out.

During the exercises, it will be observed increased movement of military equipment and various types of aircraft – both during the day and at night.

It was recently reported that the Netherlands, together with another country, will hand over the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.

Ukraine said that in the near future it needs seven anti-aircraft missiles Patriot systems to protect the sky from Russian attacks.

After that, Germany and Romania announced the transfer of their systems.