Sweden Has Ordered More US Patriot Missile Systems |
Stockholm - Sweden, a candidate for a new NATO member country, ordered more Patriot missile defense systems from the United States (US). Stockholm did not reveal the reason, but this happened after Russia's war in Ukraine was feared to spread to nearby countries.
Sweden previously ordered the Patriot missile defense system known in Sweden as Air Defense System 103 in November 2017, and reached a procurement agreement with the US government in 2018. This month, the final delivery of four Patriot system batteries was completed, marking the end of the first part of the agreement to buy the system.
Now, with the last deliveries already done, Sweden has placed another order. “The Patriot has been developed to be able to target helicopters, aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, almost any air target,” Christer Mellgren, project manager for Air Defense Systems 103, told SVT, Friday (24/12/2022).
"I can't say the amount we ordered, but it's within the limits approved by the American Congress." According to the Defense Materials Administration, the first part of the deal cost 9-10 billion kronor, and the Swedish Armed Forces have allocated around 32 billion kronor for the total deal.
According to the SVT report, the missile itself is the most expensive part of the Patriot system. While Sweden has been granted permission by the US government to purchase up to 300 missiles, it is not known how many have been ordered. Sweden, along with Finland, has applied to become a new member of NATO. Currently, Turkey and Hungary have yet to give their approval for the two potential new members of the alliance.