The Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Slovakia, Robert Kaliniak, revealed that his country is in negotiations with the United States regarding the acquisition of American anti-aircraft systems MIM-104 Patriot.
He made the announcement during an interview with a local television network, stating: “The Patriot contract will be the largest in the history of the Slovak Army.”
Kaliniak emphasized the importance of these systems in providing protection to the country’s airspace.
There is significant anticipation within the country that the US will offer a “discount” on the system’s price, given Slovakia’s ongoing support to Ukraine and the potential volume of systems to be purchased.
However, no official number of Patriot air defense systems involved has been specified, as Kaliniak chooses to refrain from speculation until a final agreement with Washington is reached.
What is the MIM-104 Patriot?
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system [SAM], the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the US defense company Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system.
The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the primary High to Medium Altitude Air Defense (HIMAD) system of the US Army and replaced the MIM-23 Hawk system as the US Army’s medium tactical air defense system.
