Allied Patriot air-defence systems will continue protecting Poland’s strategically important Rzeszów-Jasionka airport in 2027, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has announced, saying NATO has assured Warsaw that another allied rotation will follow the current Dutch deployment.
Kosiniak-Kamysz made the announcement during a visit on Thursday to Polish and allied troops protecting POLLOGHUB, the logistics operation centred around Rzeszów-Jasionka that coordinates the transit of international military assistance towards Ukraine.
According to the military publication Polska Zbrojna, the defence minister said NATO Headquarters had assured Poland that another allied rotation would take place at Jasionka in 2027.
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He said the systems would be allied rather than Polish Patriots. The country providing the next deployment has not yet been publicly identified.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the contributing nation would announce the deployment itself.
Polish officials reportedly already know which ally is expected to take over the mission, but no public timetable for the handover has been released.
Dutch Patriots currently defend Jasionka
The Netherlands currently provides the principal allied Patriot component defending the hub.
Dutch forces began protecting the logistics centre on 1 December 2025, initially deploying around 300 personnel together with two Patriot systems, a NASAMS air-defence system and anti-drone capabilities.
The Netherlands later extended the Patriot deployment after requests from Poland and NATO.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the Patriot component and around 150 Dutch personnel are scheduled to remain in Poland until no later than early December 2026.
The NASAMS and anti-drone elements of the original Dutch deployment returned to the Netherlands in June.
That means the precise transition between the Dutch contingent and the next allied Patriot rotation remains to be announced.
Poland’s Defence Ministry nevertheless describes allied Patriot protection as continuing into 2027.
Layered air defence around the hub
Jasionka is not protected by the Dutch Patriots alone.
During Thursday’s visit, Kosiniak-Kamysz also met Polish troops from the 15th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Gołdap and the 18th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Zamość.
The Polish Defence Ministry said Polish forces are using Mała Narew air-defence equipment equipped with CAMM missiles to protect the airport and surrounding region.
Kosiniak-Kamysz described the system as operating in an integrated air-defence network alongside the allied Patriots.
British personnel are also currently serving in the area, according to the ministry.
However, no announcement has yet established whether British forces or any other specific allied air-defence units will form part of the 2027 Patriot rotation.
Hub central to Western aid for Ukraine
Rzeszów-Jasionka has assumed an unusually important military and logistical role since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
POLLOGHUB coordinates the movement of military equipment supplied by NATO members and other partner countries before it is transferred onwards towards Ukraine.
The Polish Defence Ministry estimates that more than 80% of military donations destined for Ukraine pass through Poland.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the hub handles support not only from NATO countries but also from partners further afield, including Australia.
The facility forms part of the wider NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) mission, which coordinates security assistance, equipment deliveries and training support for Ukrainian forces.
Its importance has also made the surrounding infrastructure a priority for air defence.
Protection amid continuing Russian attacks
Kosiniak-Kamysz’s visit came during another period of heightened Polish air-defence readiness caused by large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Polish and allied fighter aircraft have repeatedly been scrambled during major Russian missile and drone strikes because of the risk that missiles, drones or other aircraft could approach or enter Polish airspace.
The defence minister said on Thursday that both Polish and Czech aircraft had been operating in Polish airspace and that security measures had also been increased around border crossings.
Poland has separately deployed its own Patriot systems to other strategically important locations, including parts of the Lublin region and near the Orlen refinery in Płock.
At Jasionka, however, Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that the long-range Patriot component will continue to be provided by allies rather than drawn from Poland’s own batteries.
Successor nation not yet disclosed
The most significant unanswered question is which NATO ally will replace the Netherlands.
Polska Zbrojna reported that Poland has received an assurance from NATO headquarters that another rotation will take place, while contemporary PAP reporting said the Polish Defence Ministry already knows which country is expected to provide it.
Warsaw is allowing that government to make the announcement itself.
No exact transition date, force size or number of Patriot systems for the 2027 mission has yet been disclosed.
There has also been no public confirmation of whether the next Patriot contingent will arrive with additional systems comparable to the NASAMS and anti-drone equipment included in the original Dutch deployment.
What has now been confirmed is that Poland expects allied Patriot protection of Jasionka to continue beyond the Dutch mission and into 2027, maintaining NATO air-defence coverage over one of the alliance’s most important logistics points supporting Ukraine.
