Sweden orders additional missiles for Patriot systems from US

Sweden's Defence Material Administration has ordered another set of Patriot surface-to-air missiles from the United States, according to the Stockholm-based news service The Local.

Sweden previously requested the Patriot system, known in Sweden as Air Defence System 103, in November 2017, and reached a procurement agreement with the US government in 2018.

Sweden previously requested the Patriot system, known in Sweden as Air Defence System 103, in November 2017, and reached a procurement agreement with the US government in 2018.

This month, the last of four deliveries of Patriot batteries was completed, marking the end of the first part of the Patriot deal.

Now, with this final delivery completed, Sweden has placed another order.

“Patriot has been developed to be able to target helicopters, aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, pretty much all air targets,” Christer Mellgren, project manager for Air Defence System 103.

“I cannot go into the number of missiles that we ordered, but it is within the limit approved by the American Congress.”

According to the Defence Material Administration, the first part of the deal cost 9-10 billion kronor ($856 million-$951 million), and the Swedish Armed Forces have allocated some $3.2 billion for the deal in total.

The missiles themselves are said to be the most expensive part of the Patriot system. While Sweden has been granted permission by the US government to purchase up to 300 missiles, it is unknown how many have been ordered.