The German Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that the Bundeswehr is deploying a “Patriot” missile unit to Turkey. This deployment aims to reinforce the NATO air defense capabilities on the southeastern flank, with operations scheduled to begin at the end of June and continuing until September.
The missile system unit will be accompanied by approximately 150 German soldiers from the Air Defense Missile Brigade 1, based in Husum. While in Turkey, these forces are expected to collaborate primarily with Turkish and U.S. partner forces.
The German military has previous experience in the region; Patriot units were stationed in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, from 2013 to 2015 as part of NATO Operation Active Fence. During nearly three years, the German air defense missile systems protected the NATO airspace along the border with Syria. The system has also been deployed recently in various locations, having been operational in Rzeszów, Poland, for almost a year in 2025, and previously in Slovakia (2022/2023), Poland (2023), and for the protection of the NATO summit in Lithuania (2023).
For context, a full Patriot missile combat unit (“Kampfstaffel”) is equipped with specialized staff personnel, a fire control center, a multi-function radar unit, up to eight launch vehicles, a power supply system, and a radio signaling team with antenna installations. The unit’s operation is typically supported by additional staff and support personnel.