The Ministry of Defense in Warsaw did not respond to questions about who would be responsible. Normal procedures within the NATO alliance ensure that the member country providing air defense systems, and not the host state, has control. For example, the Patriots deployed in Poland’s Rzeszow airport in April are flown by American personnel.

Robert Chulda, security expert at the University of Lodz in Poland, he said the Germans would likely have control of the new missiles, at least initially, because “our military is not trained on how to use the Patriots.”

In fact, he doubts that the missiles offered to his country by Germany will significantly increase the deterrent power of Poland, saying that that “it is basically a symbolic and political movement to demonstrate Germany’s commitment to Poland’s security”, but also to ease the tension often seen between Warsaw and Berlin.