Spain has agreed to supply Patriot missiles to Ukraine in the face of pressure from NATO and the EU so that the European countries that have this American-made system deliver it to kyiv with the aim of strengthening its anti-aircraft defense against Russian attacks, according to sources. governmental. The transfer of a small number of missiles – each unit costs more than a million euros and has a ceiling of 24 kilometers and a range of 150 – has made its way after the Ministry of Defense’s refusal to transfer its battery to Ukraine. deployed since 2013 on the border between Turkey and Syria.
The Spanish Army has three batteries – each with its corresponding missile launchers, radar and control station – acquired second-hand from Germany in 2004 and 2014. One of these batteries is located in the city of Adana ( Turkey), while the other two are at the Marine base (Valencia) and one of them is used for the instruction of the Ukrainian and Spanish military in the management of this system.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has demanded the delivery of six batteries for the defense of the country’s nerve centers in the face of the Russian offensive that is expected in the coming months and has set his eyes on the system deployed by the Spanish army in Turkey, with a detachment of 150 soldiers. However, the Ministry of Defense has flatly refused, alleging that these systems are the only ones effective against a missile attack – as has been demonstrated in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East – and that the Spanish Armed Forces’ staff is Under minimum. However, as compensation, the Government has accepted the delivery of a batch of Patriot missiles, according to the sources consulted. In any case, it will be a very limited number, since the Spanish war reserve is around fifty units and the interceptors are very expensive.
The Ministry of Defense has a program to acquire a complete group of Patriot with four batteries of the 3+ configuration, much more advanced than those it has now, which will give it a true missile defense capability. The Pentagon gave the green light last October to the operation, valued at around 2.6 billion euros, but the Council of Ministers has not yet approved the program’s spending ceiling or the signing of the contract. Although the procedures are expedited, the forecast is that the new batteries will not arrive before 2028 or 2029. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces will have to ensure Spain’s air defense with its current limited means.
The other countries with Patriot missiles are also under pressure to supply them to kyiv: Germany has announced the delivery of another battery – the third since the Russian invasion began – while Greece could take the step soon. The Netherlands has declared itself willing to finance the purchase of missiles from third countries to deliver them to Ukraine, while France could supply the MAMBA system, which it has in Romania. The defense ministers of the so-called Contact Group on Ukraine or Rammstein Group, which brings together more than fifty countries (including the 32 members of NATO), under the leadership of the United States, hold a videoconference meeting this Friday in which the Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, will participate. At the meeting, the contributions of the different countries to kyiv’s demands will be reviewed, although the pressure has relaxed after the US Congress finally approved the delivery of military aid to Ukraine for $61 billion.
The Spanish Government, which has reiterated its commitment to support kyiv, is preparing a new arms package for before June 30, which includes 10 of the 19 Leopard 2 A4 battle tanks that are being rehabilitated and will be added to the 10 delivered last year. Beyond the Patriot missiles, the transfer of other anti-aircraft systems is problematic: the army only has four Nasams batteries, and one of them is permanently deployed in Latvia and another for periods of several months in Estonia. Although Spain has delivered 12 Hawk anti-aircraft missile launchers to kyiv, supplying more missiles of this type is not easy, since they have stopped being manufactured and stocks cannot be replenished, according to military sources. Under these conditions, the Government is committed to having the ammunition manufacturing companies themselves, such as 155 caliber projectiles, supply Kiev, even if this means postponing the replenishment of the almost empty arsenals of the Spanish army.
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