NATO sends Patriot system to protect key air-defense radar in Turkey

ISTANBUL — The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that a Patriot air defense system is being stationed in Malatya, following waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks against key military infrastructure in the region.

“In addition to the national measures we have implemented, NATO has enhanced air and missile defense measures,” a government statement reads. “As part of this framework, a Patriot System is currently in Malatya and is being prepared for operational readiness to support the protection of our airspace.”

There is currently one Patriot system, from Spain, deployed at İncirlik Air Base near Adana as part of NATO defenses since 2015.

The second Patriot system was deployed from NATO’s Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said. A TV crew from Malatya shared a short video on X showing one Oshkosh HEMTT A4 M983A4 Patriot tractor and trailer on the road yesterday.

Alman Patriot'ları Malatya'ya konuşlandırılırken görüntülendi. pic.twitter.com/YCqCnge29s

— Yusuf Akbaba (@ssysfakb) March 11, 2026

The second Patriot system will be located near the Kürecik radar base outside Malatya. An AN/TPY-2 radar is based there as part of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense architecture. In 2011, Turkey announced its decision to host a U.S.-owned missile defense radar as part of the alliance’s Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability.

The sensor provides warning against ballistic missiles fired from Iran early in their flight, providing precise tracking data to the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.

Forward-based missile defense radar systems in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were attacked by Iran during the first week of the U.S. and Israeli Operation Epic Fury.

Since the start of the war, two ballistic missiles fired from Iran toward Turkey have been successfully intercepted by NATO forces in the region.