France to protect NATO hub in Poland from January, official says - The Straits Times

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Army MIM-104 Patriot, a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system launcher is pictured at Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, Poland, March 16, 2022. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo

WARSAW, Nov 6 - France will take charge of defending Poland's Rzeszow airport, the main hub for deliveries of Western aid to Ukraine, as part of a NATO mission, the French ambassador in Warsaw said on Friday.

"Starting January 1, as part of NATO, France will take charge of air defence in the area around Rzeszow, marking the first time that French equipment will be used for this purpose," Ambassador Etienne de Poncins told reporters in Warsaw.

He said French air defence systems would work jointly with US-made Patriots, providing an opportunity to test the interoperability of the two systems. He did not specify how long French protection would remain in place.

At present, Dutch Patriot systems are protecting Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, while Sweden will deploy its systems next month. REUTERS