• About
    • Mission
    • Biographical Information
    • Contact Us
  • Defense
  • Energy
  • Logistics
  • Innovation
  • In the News
  • Follow
  • Like
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
March 17, 2014Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D

← Back
← Previous Post
Next Post →

Ukraine Crisis: Poland’s Air Defenses Become A Pressing Concern For Washington (From Forbes)

March 17, 2014Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D

In a surprise twist for a program that has had more than its share of twists and turns, the Obama Administration last week decided to make the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) available to Poland — even though the U.S. Army has eliminated funding for the program.  MEADS is one of four options on a short list of candidates the Warsaw government has assembled for equipping a national shield against hostile aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles.  The traditional U.S. champion in such competitions is Raytheon’s Patriot system, but Turkey’s decision to favor a Chinese air defense system last year and the crisis in Ukraine have apparently led Washington to become more expansive about what the Poles should be offered.  MEADS was originally conceived to replace Patriot, and offers significant advantages such as 360-degree radar coverage and easy transportability.  Poland could conceivably replace the U.S. as the third partner on MEADS — Germany and Italy are already on board — affording major opportunities for Polish industry.  I have written a commentary for Forbes here.

Print | PDF | EMail

Find Archived Articles:

This entry was posted in Early Warning Blog. Bookmark the permalink.
Sign Up For
LexNext Emails
1600 Wilson Boulevard - Suite 203
Arlington, VA 22209 USA
Phone: 703.522.5828
Fax: 703.522.5837
© 2022 Lexington Institute

Sign Up for LexNext Emails

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign Up for LexNext Emails

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.