The website of the Pakistan ministry of defence has reported on September 14, 2009 that the United States under the Obama administration has told the US Congress of an impending  7.8 billion deal of Patriot PAC-3 antimissile batteries defense systems to Turkey.

Should the plan be allowed to go head, the deal and the delivery of the missile systems to Turkey will have a vast strategic importance as the country is the only Nato state which shares a border with Iran.

According to Turkish media reported by the topnews.com website, however, the revelation has sparked criticism in the country. Allegedly, there was  anger in Ankara that the United States had made the plans public, creating a wide controversy both domestically and internationally, particularly as the deal "could ham the country's relations with Iran".

Allegedly, the 7.8 billion deal is one of the largest government-to-government arms sales in years, which will put Turkey once more as one of the top country's on the United States' selling list.

"Turkey is a partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability in the region," a US government spokesperson has said, quoted by the pakistanidefence.com

 "It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability that will contribute to an acceptable military balance in the area. Such a purchase would represent a big consolidation of U.S.-Turkish military ties" the statement said.

Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) is a high/medium advanced surface-to-air guided missile air defense system, designed to destroy missiles by intercepting and colliding with them. The Patriot Multi mode Interceptor incorporates a multi mode seeker and an improved explosive warhead, thus making the PAC-3 a major upgrade to the Patriot system.

The Patriot system has four major operational functions: communications, command and control, radar surveillance, and missile guidance. The four functions combine to provide a coordinated, secure, integrated, mobile air defense system.

It first received international acclaim in the first Gulf War in its early model and since then it has been  sold to Taiwan, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Spain. The Republic of Korea also has three active battalions equipped with the MIM - 104 systems after North Korea test-launched ballistic missiles to the Sea of Japan and proceeded with underground nuclear testing.