Poland is to sign a multibillion-dollar deal with Raytheon for the procurement of Patriot missile defense systems. Polish Minister of National Defence, Antoni Macierewicz said on Friday that the contract is to cover eight Patriot systems with a value of $7.6 billion. The minister said the acquisition will guarantee the security of the Polish state, considering Russian policies in the region. 

Patriot is a long-range, all-altitude, all-weather air defence system to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft. The range of the missile is 70 thousand meters and maximum altitude is greater than 24 thousand meters. The deal could be signed by the end of 2017 if all conditions were agreed upon.