How is the sophisticated (and effective) defense system ‘Patriot’ that the US will send to Ukraine

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, the United States and its allies have sent a wide variety of weapons to Kyiv. From Javelin anti-tank missiles to ‘kamikaze’ drones. The Joe Biden administration has now committed to providing a new aid package military system that includes the renowned Patriot defense system.

While Ukraine has used Western air defense systems such as Stinger launchers for months, the country had not gained access to high-tech Patriot systems. Although it is not a perfect solution, it can become a valuable asset for the military to defend certain critical areas from Russian missile attacks.

A system that claims to be very effective

According to the manufacturer, the Patriot air defense system has the ability to shoot down targets located at a maximum distance of 60 kilometers, whose height does not exceed 20 kilometers. It has been designed to be used against aircraft, helicopters, drones, tactical missiles and cruise missiles. One of his most prominent features is that he can make multiple interceptions at once.

Unlike other anti-air technologies, Patriot is composed of several modules that allow its operation. A launcher that can carry up to four missiles, a radar with a maximum detection range of 130 kilometers, a power supply plant and a control station are part of the system. According to The Washington Posteach “shot” costs about 3 million dollars.

Depending on the configuration, the system can work with two types of anti-aircraft missiles. Each launcher can load until 4 PAC-2 missiles or 16 PAC-3 missiles. PAC-2s are 5.3 meters long and weigh 900 kilograms. They can carry a 91-kilogram warhead at a maximum speed of Mach 5. This type of ammunition destroys the target when exploding nearby.

The PAC-3, meanwhile, are 5.2 meters long, weigh 312 kilograms and also reach a maximum speed of Mach 5. But, yes, unlike its younger brother, it does not have a main explosive charge. It possesses a method of attack known as hit-to-kill which pursues the target with a built-in search head and disables it without an explosion.

As we said, it is a resource that has been in service for several years and has received numerous improvements since its introduction in the Armed Forces. Manufactured by American companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martinwas first used in 1991 in Operation ‘Desert Storm’ in Kuwait and continued to be used in other conflicts, for example the 2003 Iraq war.

Depending on the area to be protected, various defense systems can participate in interception tasks. The BBC notes that The United States will send a single unit of the Patriot system to Ukraine as part of the $1.85 billion aid package for weapons. The resource, however, may take time to deploy on the battlefield.

According to Reutersthe system will first land in Germany, where Ukrainian troops will learn how to use it in a training that can extend for several months. By then, Ukraine should have already decided where to deploy the system, so the last step would be to move it to the designated location.

Images: Raytheon Technologies | Netherlands Ministry of Defense

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