The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) on Wednesday awarded COMLOG a $5.6 billion contract for up to 1,000 Patriot GEM-T missiles as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI).
The alliance’s procurement arm said this contract aims to support a coalition of members including Germany, Netherlands, Romania and Spain. The total number of missiles reaches 1,000 only if all options are exercised.
COMLOG is a joint venture between RTX [RTX] and MBDA. NATO said in order to support production and delivery of these missiles, the companies will expand production capacity of the missiles in Europe.
COMLOG currently primarily supports logistics for Patriot PAC-2 missiles to increase operational capability via a facility in Germany.
The contract also covers qualification of updated components, addition of new suppliers, test equipment, and spares to support future sustainment.
The alliance said other user countries are expected to benefit from the contract conditions because it allows the Patriot users to benefit from economies of scale for the combined construction and procurement,
The GEM-T is the primary effector for the Patriot air defense system used by eight European countries against cruise missiles, aircraft, and ballistic missiles. GEM-T is part of the Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) interceptor designed to target tactical ballistic missiles. Ukraine also uses Patriot for missile and aircraft defense in its defense against the Russian invasion.
NPSA said this combined multinational procurement is in the spirit of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a Germany-led initiative started in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to create a European air and missile defense system via common acquisition of equipment and missiles by European countries.
“This contract demonstrates that NSPA, as a primary enabler of the Alliance, can successfully deliver effective and cost-efficient multinational solutions to nations, while reinforcing European industrial capacities. Through close Euro-Atlantic cooperation between allies and industry, NSPA has enabled the consolidation of requirements through the award of this complex contract,” Stacy Cummings, NSPA General Manager, said in a statement.
NPSA also noted this new upcoming GEM-T production capability will enhance supply security and contribute to the future replenishment of Patriot missile stockpile inventories.
Thomas Gottschild, Managing Director MBDA Germany, underscored this order volume will allow the company to set up a Patriot production facility in Germany as well as major subcomponent production. The current COMLOG facility is the only current place where Patriot missiles are produced outside the U.S.