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Patriot guarantees Germany's air defense. Bruce R. Eggers, Director of Business Development for German Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Raytheon, explains the benefits and next steps in the development of the world's leading air defense system.

Germany recently decided to upgrade its Patriot air defense systems to the currently most modern configuration – Configuration 3+. Why is this so significant?

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Bruce R. Eggers, Director Business Development for German Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Raytheon (Photos: Raytheon International)

Eggers:Germany, the Netherlands, five other European nations and the United States entrust Patriot with Europe's integrated air and missile defense systems. With the upgrade to Configuration 3+, Germany has the latest updates to respond to evolving threats and remain compatible with its allies for many years to come.

Is Patriot capable of dealing with the next-gen threats?

Eggers:Yes. We offer Germany our Next Generation Patriot solution, which combats advanced threats with a state-of-the-art 360-degree radar that has completed more than 3,000 hours of testing. Commanders also have operational flexibility due to Patriot's missile mix of GEM-T and PAC-3 MSE guided missiles. Of course, these guided missiles are already integrated into the Patriot Configuration 3+. In addition, we have the additional ability to integrate IRIS-T SL subject to German and US government approval.

Together with the Rheinmetall solution, this all fits into a seamless architecture that can cover the requirements of German ground-based air defense.

Is Next Generation Patriot a German solution?

Eggers:In any case. Raytheon has a global strategic partnership with Rheinmetall that is an integral part of our solution. We have already talked about the possibility of integrating IRIS-T SL. Additionally, with US and German government approval, we could potentially integrate German medium-range radar, command and communications systems.

I would also like to point out that MBDA is currently working on German Patriots and those of the partner nations. We don't expect anything to change.

Raytheon's new galium nitride (GaN)-based AESA radar has reliably demonstrated 360-degree capability, setting new standards in air defense.

Do you think there is any truth to your competitors' claims that MEADS is the future while Patriot is the past?

Eggers:The reality is that MEADS is based on outdated technology that never made it through the approval process. In 2011, the US Army decided to end participation in the program as MEADS was billions over budget and years behind schedule. MEADS has since been weakened while technological development continues. Take a look at your phone from 2011 and compare it to what it is today.

Sure, Patriot has the same name as when it was first deployed - and even looks the same on the outside - but that's where the similarity ends. Patriot's technology is constantly being updated, tested and improved thanks to the continued investment of the entire Patriot partnership.

Patriot is the preferred air defense system of 17 countries. Four new nations have joined the partnership since November 2017 - the Kingdom of Bahrain is our most recent addition, which occurred in August. These countries analyzed the threat, evaluated the data and made their choices for today and for the future. How many countries have chosen MEADS?

Patriot is the backbone of the integrated air and missile defenses of a steadily growing community of 17 partner countries and has been tested over 2,500 times under realistic conditions under the supervision of the US Army.

But the threats are constantly evolving and improving. Isn't a new system - like MEADS - needed to address this?

Eggers:Threats have always evolved and been perfected. An air defense system must be constantly upgraded and optimized to stay ahead of these threats, regardless of who is manufacturing it. Maintaining this constant pace of improvement would be incredibly expensive when a nation is left to its own devices.

The 17 countries, which collectively own more than 220 Patriot fire units, are investing in modernizations and upgrades based on testing and experience from ongoing operations. MEADS is not only outdated, but also untested against the spectrum of air and missile threats it claims to be able to combat.

Assuming MEADS is built sometime in the future, the price would be fore developmentexpected to be 8 billion euros. But the changing threats won't stop there. Is Germany the only member of the "MEADS Club" willing to bear all these costs?

They talk about Patriot being a proven solution, but there have been some high-profile reports of Patriot failures in the field. How do you react to this?

Eggers:I will not go into specific events or the inaccuracy of press reports, but I think the facts speak for themselves. The governments of 17 nations have used facts and data to state that Patriot is intended to be the backbone of their integrated air and missile defenses. The US Army and other Patriot partners have conducted more than 1,500 flight tests and 3,200 ground tests on Patriot. Patriot has been used in combat by five nations, intercepting more than 250 tactical ballistic missiles in the process. Facts matter, and the reality remains that Patriot saves lives.