Germany buys more Patriots as it supplements Ukraine’s air defense

Raytheon has won a second contract this year, worth $1.2 billion, to provide major Patriot air and missile defense system components to Germany as the country sends additional Patriot systems to Ukraine.

Raytheon received a previous contract — for the same amount — from Germany for Patriot systems in March. Raytheon will deliver four complete Patriot fire units under the previous contract and four fire units under the new deal, according to a company spokesperson.

Germany, along with the U.S. and Romania, recently agreed to donate additional Patriot batteries to Ukraine as the war-torn country continues to fend off Russia’s invasion which began in February 2022.

The contract will provide Patriot Configuration 3+ radars, launchers, command-and-control stations, spares and support, Raytheon, an RTX company, said in a July 11 statement.

Patriot’s dominance in Ukraine has attracted fresh attention and potential customers from around the world. Germany is a longtime user of Patriot. Patriot serves as the air defense for 19 countries.

“ Patriot remains the tried-and-true stalwart of air and missile defense , relied upon by our global customers to deter aggression and defend their interests,” Tom Laliberty, Raytheon’s land and air defense systems president, said in the statement. “With each additional Patriot system, Germany is enhancing its own air defenses and strengthening NATO’s defense posture.”

Germany is also involved in a coalition of European states that have jointly ordered up to 1,000 Patriot missiles worth roughly $55 billion . The NATO Support and Procurement Agency is managing the purchase between Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Romania and awarded a $5.5 billion production and delivery contract for the missiles to a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA Germany.

This story has been updated to include additional information on the number of Patriot fire units that will be delivered under the two 2024 contracts.