Deliveries are expected to begin in the coming months. They are scheduled to be completed in 2031.
The exact number of missiles was not specified in the input text. Poland received approval from the U.S. State Department in May last year to buy up to 788 PAC-2 GEM-T interceptors, with the cost set at up to $5.8 billion net.
The PAC-2 GEM-T missiles are intended to complement PAC-3 MSE interceptors. They have a range of 150 km and can engage different types of air targets, including older types of ballistic missiles.
The input text says PAC-2 GEM-T interceptors are also cheaper than PAC-3 MSE missiles. Their unit cost is estimated at $2 million to $4 million, compared with about $5.3 million for a PAC-3 MSE interceptor.
Despite their higher price, PAC-3 MSE missiles have significantly greater capability against ballistic missiles. A single M903 Patriot launcher can also carry more PAC-3 MSE missiles than PAC-2 GEM-T interceptors, with 12 PAC-3 MSE missiles compared with four PAC-2 GEM-T missiles.
The new missiles are expected to supplement PAC-3 MSE interceptors, which are currently the only weapons used by Polish Wisla system launchers. The additional interceptors are intended to increase the capability of Poland’s air defense.
Under the first and second phases of the Wisla program, Poland was expected to acquire up to 852 PAC-3 MSE missiles. Poland had initially also planned to obtain the lower-cost SkyCeptor missile, derived from the Israeli Stunner, but that purchase was not finalized.
In recent years, a new CAMM-family missile developed by the United Kingdom and Poland has also been mentioned as a lower-cost alternative to PAC-3 MSE. The future CAMM-MR missile does not yet exist, and its development may take many more years.
The input text also says potential integration of a new European missile with Patriot launchers and the IBCS command system could involve serious difficulties. The PAC-2 GEM-T purchase therefore gives Poland an additional Patriot interceptor already linked to the system’s existing missile family.
