Specs and capabilities of U.S. PATRIOT air defense systems provided to Ukraine
NV explains the features of the PATRIOT system and the timeline of negotiations to supply it to Ukraine.
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The MIM-104 PATRIOT (Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target) air defense complex was introduced into service with the U.S. Army in the early 1980s. Its latest modification, called PAC-3, is designed to engage and intercept targets at altitudes of up to 24 km. The main feature of the latest PATRIOT modification is its ability to shoot down ballistic missiles (including Iskanders, which Russia uses to attack Ukraine), as well as Kinzhals (Russian hypersonic air-launched missiles) and Zircons (a Russian hypersonic anti-ship missile).
The PATRIOT uses advanced interceptor missiles and highly effective radar systems. The main functions of the system are four:
Read also: Germany to start moving Patriot systems to Poland next week – Spiegel
● connection,
● command and control
● radar surveillance
● missile guidance
The installations are highly mobile, and a single battery can be deployed in less than an hour. Its system components are moved on trucks or trailers.
One Patriot PAC-3 launcher is designed for 4 MIM-104 missiles of various types, including GEM-T missiles (with advanced guidance systems) or 16 ERINT missiles (extended-range interceptors). At the same time, a single PATRIOT battery can contain up to 8 launchers.
The average effective range of a PATRIOT launcher is 150 km. The air defense system can track targets moving at speeds of up to 2,200 m/s at a distance of up to 180 km.
Read also: US to train Ukrainians to operate Patriot systems over ten weeks
Other important characteristics of the PATRIOT air defense system include:
● target interception range — up to 80 km;
● target interception altitude — up to 24 km;
Read also: Pentagon soon to begin training Ukrainian troops to operate Patriot air defense, CNN reports
Back in December 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion, CNN reported that Ukraine had asked the U.S. to provide PATRIOT complexes.
However, even after Russia’s massive attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the fall of 2022, the question of obtaining the Patriot was still being debated. In particular, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisted that there needed to be guarantees that the systems already delivered to Ukraine were effective and functioning, because they require ammunition and spare parts.
On Dec. 13, U.S state-funded news outlet Voice of America reported that the Pentagon had confirmed plans to send these systems to Ukraine. In response, the press secretary for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said that PATRIOT complexes would “definitely” be targeted by Russian forces.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
