Patriot missile battery heading to Slovakia amid Ukraine invasion response

The Army will send a Patriot missile battery to Slovakia, the Pentagon announced Friday, to backfill that country’s air defense capabilities.

The Slovakian government, in turn, has agreed to give its sole, Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air system to Ukraine to aid in targeting Russian aviation.

“We expect this battery and its crew to arrive in coming days,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. “Their deployment length has not yet been fixed, as we continue to consult with the Slovakian government about more permanent air defense solutions.”

Along with the Patriot system comes a crew of about 100 U.S. soldiers, bringing the total U.S. troops mobilized to support NATO as Russia invades Ukraine to over 12,000. About 11,000 of those have deployed from the U.S., while the rest were already stationed in Europe.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2022/04/08/patriot-missile-battery-heading-to-slovakia-amid-ukraine-invasion-response/