Germany to deploy Patriot battery to Turkey, relieving US forces on NATO’s southeastern flank

(Linus Höller – Defense News) Germany will deploy a Patriot air and missile defense battery to Turkey from late June through September 2026, the German Defense Ministry announced Monday, as NATO seeks to reinforce its southeastern flank in the wake of Iranian missile strikes targeting Turkish territory. The roughly 150 soldiers drawn from Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 1, based in Husum, Germany, will form a Patriot Air and Missile Defence Task Force (AMD TF) and will relieve a U.S. unit currently stationed in the country. The German contingent will operate under NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) framework in close coordination with Turkish and remaining American forces, according to a Bundeswehr press statement. – Germany to deploy Patriot battery to Turkey, relieving US forces on NATO’s southeastern flank