Sweden has joined a coalition of European countries to jointly procure 1,000 Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM-T) interceptors.
A $5.6-billion contract has already been awarded by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to COMLOG, a joint venture between MBDA Germany and RTX, for the procurement.
The remaining coalition members are Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain.
Sweden’s contribution in the project is over five billion Swedish kroner ( $455 million).
“The acquisition means that we are strengthening the capability and endurance within the Swedish air defense and at the same time contributing to the common air defense capability within NATO and in Europe,” head of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration’s (FMV) area of activity Army materiel Jonas Lotsne said.
Guidance Enhanced Missile
The GEM-T air defense missile is specifically designed for enhanced accuracy and effectiveness against ballistic missiles. It is also effective against cruise missiles and aircraft.
The Patriot variant combines hit-to-kill technology with a highly precise seeker to intercept incoming targets.
Expansion of European Production
The COMLAG facility in Germany is the only one outside the US where the Patriot missile is produced.
Following the contract, the joint venture stated that missile production will be expanded to the rest of Europe.
In addition to the missiles, the contract includes the qualification of updated components, the addition of new suppliers, test equipment, and spare parts. No delivery timeline has been disclosed.
The joint procurement intends to provide “economies of scale and support the expansion of production capacity for new GEM-T missiles to meet increasing demand” in the wake of the Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, the FMV said.
