Pentagon to notify Congress of planned Patriot deal with Poland

According to officials in Warsaw, Congress is likely to greenlight the deal smoothly.

Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz has said that the final agreement on the purchase of Patriot missile defence systems by Poland could be signed by the end of this year.

Under US law, Congress must be formally notified before the administration can take the final steps to conclude a government-to-government foreign military sale of major defence equipment with a significant value. In the case of such sales to NATO member states, Congress must be formally notified 15 days before the administration is authorised to proceed with a given sale.

If Congress does not object to the planned deal during this time, the transaction can go ahead.

In the case of Poland, Congress opposing the deal is an improbable scenario, according to officials.

This means that the definitive agreement on the sale of Patriot missile systems to Poland could be signed in December, Macierewicz said.

He said on Thursday that "from the Polish perspective," a positive decision by Congress would wrap up negotiations on the deal.

In early July, Poland signed a memorandum with the United States on the purchase of eight Patriot missile defence systems.

The purchase of the Patriot systems is expected to be accompanied by an offset deal whose details have not been disclosed but which could see the transfer of technology and significant investment in the Polish defence industry, according to Polish media reports.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR