Turkey deploys third NATO Patriot system to repel Iranian missiles

IZMIR, Turkey — The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has announced the deployment of an additional Patriot air and missile defense system to İncirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

The decision follows a ballistic missile launch from Iran on March 13, reportedly directed toward the vicinity of İncirlik Air Base.

According to Turkish and NATO sources, the projectile entered Turkish airspace before being successfully intercepted and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The deployment of the additional Patriot battery was authorized by NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) in Ramstein, Germany, and will operate alongside the Spanish-operated Patriot system stationed at İncirlik since 2015 as part of NATO assurance measures for Turkey.

The latest deployment brings the number of NATO Patriot batteries stationed in Turkey to three, including two systems now positioned at İncirlik Air Base under NATO arrangements.

A separate Patriot system was deployed from Allied Air Command last week near the Kürecik radar site outside Malatya. An AN/TPY-2 early-warning radar has operated at Kürecik since 2012 as part of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) architecture, providing early detection and tracking of ballistic missile threats originating from the Middle East.

Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, NATO forces have successfully intercepted three ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward Turkish territory.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

土耳其伊兹密尔——土耳其国防部宣布向土耳其南部因吉尔利克空军基地部署一套额外的“爱国者”防空导弹系统。

此前，伊朗于 3 月 13 日发射了一枚弹道导弹，据报道该导弹的目标是因吉尔利克空军基地附近。

据土耳其和北约消息人士称，该炮弹进入土耳其领空后，被部署在东地中海的北约防空和导弹防御力量成功拦截并摧毁。

北约盟军空军司令部（AIRCOM）在德国拉姆施泰因授权部署额外的“爱国者”导弹系统，该系统将与自 2015 年以来驻扎在因吉尔利克空军基地的西班牙运营的“爱国者”导弹系统一起运行，这是北约对土耳其的保证措施的一部分。

此次最新部署使驻扎在土耳其的北约“爱国者”导弹系统数量达到三个，其中包括根据北约安排部署在因吉尔利克空军基地的两个系统。

上周，盟军空军司令部在马拉蒂亚郊外的库雷吉克雷达站附近部署了一套独立的“爱国者”导弹防御系统。自2012年以来，库雷吉克雷达站一直运行着AN/TPY-2预警雷达，它是北约一体化防空反导（IAMD）体系的一部分，负责对来自中东的弹道导弹威胁进行早期探测和跟踪。

自“史诗狂怒行动”开始以来，北约部队已成功拦截了三枚从伊朗射向土耳其领土的弹道导弹。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。