The Dutch-German Patriot detachment deployed to Sliač Air Base, Slovakia, has undergone training drills to integrate with the NATO IAMD System.
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A Dutch-German Air and Missile Defence Task Force deployed Patriot surface-to-air missile systems near Sliač Air Base, Slovakia in April to reinforce defence capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Patriot systems will contribute to the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS), a network of interconnected sensors, command and control assets, and weapons. These ground-based defensive systems will strengthen the integrated shielding of NATO’s borders and will protect Slovakia from missile threats. NATO Integrated Air Missile Defence (NATO IAMD) is an essential, continuous mission in peacetime, crisis and conflict, safeguarding and protecting Alliance territory, populations and forces against any air and missile threat and attack. It is an essential element of NATO’s deterrence and defence.
This recently released NATO Multimedia footage, captured last week, includes various shots of Dutch Patriot missile defence systems on route from the Netherlands to Slovakia and German soldiers performing checks on the Patriot missile defence system as part of NATO’s IAMD.
Soundbite translations:-
- 05:25 (German) – Colonel Jörg Sievers, Commander Of The German Air Missile Defence Wing 1 And Task Force Commander In Slovakia “We are deployed in the area of NATO integrated air defence under NATO command here, and we make sure that the integrity of Slovak airspace is not compromised. We can see if someone moves here into this airspace that has no business here, so that we make sure that the airspace over Slovakia is safe.”
- 05:43 (German) – Colonel Jörg Sievers: “The Patriot system is used for the protection of our own troops, for the protection of population, for the protection of cities, of critical infrastructure – that can be shipyards, it can be nuclear power plants – over which we spread a protective bell with the Patriot system and make sure that there are no unauthorised aircraft, missiles endangering this protected object and therefore ensure the security on the ground for these troops and objects.”
- 06:07 (German) – Colonel Jörg Sievers:“Yes, the Patriot system is a purely defensive system. This means we can only protect ourselves against approaching threats with it. This means I don’t have the possibility to attack an enemy with a Patriot missile. It’s a system that is exclusively built to act defensively. That means we can use it to protect a space, we can use it to protect troops, we can use it to protect a city – a purely defensive system that can really only be used against approaching threats. We don’t have any way to use it offensively.”
- 06:32 (Dutch) – Captain ‘Tommie’, Netherlands Patriot Fire Unit Commander: “Operators control the weapons system, fire the missiles towards the target and our radar system uses radar communication to guide the missile towards the target, ultimately destroying it to protect cities and other important assets. The weapons system is so effective because our radar is highly specialised and can therefore guide its targets very efficiently and accurately.”
- 07:06 (German) – 1st Lieutenant Elisabeth Meppelink, German Air Missile Defence Wing 1: “Slovakia acts as a host nation and supports us in terms of logistics, infrastructure, but also through technical expertise. The Germans are here as lead nation, providing part of the weapons system and the Dutch are also here with a unit and also providing part of their weapons system.”
- 07:29 (German) – 1st Lieutenant Elisabeth Meppelink: “Multinational cooperation is important because, of course, as NATO members, we present a strong image to the outside world, here on NATO’s eastern flank, as well as through the different expertise that each nation brings to this operation.”
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