U.S. State Department Authorizes Sale of Additional PATRIOT SAMs to Spain

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has just approved the sale of additional PATRIOT PAC 3 surface-to-air missile batteries to Spain. Spain currently operates three batteries of PATRIOT and as of June 2023, was mulling sending at least one battery to Ukraine..The announcement from the State Department reads below:."The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Spain of PATRIOT Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.8 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today..The Government of Spain has requested to buy four (4) PATRIOT Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units consisting of: fifty-one (51) PATRIOT Advanced Capability (PAC) 3 Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) missiles (includes one (1) Fly-to-Buy missile); twenty-four (24) PATRIOT M903 launch stations; four (4) AN/MPQ-65 radar sets; four (4) AN/MSQ-132 Engagement Control Stations; two (2) Information Coordination Central (ICC); eight (8) Antenna Mast Groups; four (4) Electrical Power Plants; and four (4) Energy Power Units. Also included is communications equipment; tools and test equipment; range and test programs; support equipment and services comprising Skids kits, telemetry kits, generators, publications, and technical documentation; training equipment; spare and repair parts; Repair and Return; personnel training; New Equipment Training (NET); Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT) support; Flight Test Support and Targets; U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, engineering, and logistics support services; Systems Integration and Checkout (SICO) and Battalion Demonstration; field office support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $2.8 billion..The Spanish 73rd Anti-air Artillery Regiment in Cartagena, Murcia is the only unit to operate PATRIOT. It is armed with Skyguard-Aspide surface-to-air missile systems and NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems, also in Valencia with MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.