NATO Deploys Patriot Missiles to Turkey
Video Transcript:
Video Transcript:
Two Dutch Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries left the Bestkazerne military base in the Netherlands on their way to Turkey yesterday. They are part of six Patriot batteries being deployed to bolster Turkey’s ability to defend itself against the Syrian ballistic missile threat. The deployment by itself does not herald an imminent NATO intervention in Syria, but it does send a clear message to the region that NATO will stand by and protect Turkey if necessary.
The United States and Germany are also sending Patriot surface-to-air missiles to southeastern Turkey following a request from Ankara that was approved by NATO on Dec. 4, 2012. The Netherlands, Germany, and the United States are the three NATO countries that operate the advanced version of the Patriot known as the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). This version is better able to defend against ballistic missiles than previous versions.
Turkey does not maintain equipment that is equivalent to the Patriot missiles. Ankara is exploring the potential purchase of a similar system but the process is still in the preliminary stages. It is therefore particularly vulnerable to attacks from ballistic missiles. Syria has a considerable arsenal of ballistic missiles and it has already used Scud and Fateh types against rebels in northern Syria. The Turkish fear is that Syria may resort to the use of ballistic missile attacks in order to punish Turkey or deter it from further aid to the rebels. The Syrian ability to use its ballistic missiles with chemical warheads is a particular worry for Turkey.
The six Patriot missile batteries will be deployed near the southeastern Turkish cities of Adana, Gaziantep, and Kahramanmaras. All six missile batteries are expected to be fully operational by the end of January. Each truck-mounted Patriot battery consists of a command post, a radar to track incoming missiles, and up to eight launchers with up to eight Patriot missiles each. Each NATO contingent will deploy around 400 troops to man and support their respective two batteries.
The Patriot batteries and their operators are deploying to Turkey through land, sea and air routes. The Dutch batteries have left in a 160-vehicle convoy to the port of Eemshaven where they will board vessels bound for Turkey. The German batteries were loaded on ships in a seaport in northern Germany, while the American contingent started arriving in the Turkish Incirlik air base by air before deploying to Gaziantep.
Syria, Iran and Russia have all opposed the deployment of NATO Patriot missiles to Turkey. The three countries have raised concerns that the deployment is a prelude to a NATO intervention in the Syrian conflict. NATO, for its part, has strongly denied any such plans. While it is true that the Patriot deployment would be a likely component of any intervention strategy, many more troop deployments and equipment positioning would be required before an intervention in Syria by NATO.
There have been very few indications that NATO wants to actively get involved in the conflict beyond its current levels of support for the rebels. The Patriot missile deployment places NATO troops directly in the line of fire in case of a Turkish conflict with Syria. This sends a clear message to Syria and the region that NATO will not abide any significant attack on Turkey.
