US Politics
What are Patriot missiles and why does Ukraine need them?
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Preparations are underway to quickly transfer additional Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, Nato’s top military commander has said.
Alexus Grynkewich’s pledge comes as Ukraine suffered some of the heaviest Russian attacks of the war so far. The Ukrainian air force said Moscow launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile on Wednesday night.
“Preparations are underway, we are working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer”, General Grynkewich told a conference in the German city of Wiesbaden.
“The guidance that I have been given has been to move out as quickly as possible.”
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President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US would send an undisclosed number of Patriots to Kyiv, and that the European Union would pay for them.
Volodymyr Zelensky has asked for more defensive capabilities, among them Patriot systems and missiles, to fend off daily missile and drone attacks from Russia.
Here, The Independent looks at what Patriot missiles are, and why it is important to Ukraine:
What is the Patriot system?
The Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a mobile surface-to-air missile defence system developed by Raytheon Technologies.
It is considered one of the most advanced air defence systems in the US arsenal, and it has been in service since the 1980s.
A typical battery includes radar and control systems, a power unit, launchers, and support vehicles.
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The system can intercept aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, depending on the interceptor used.
The US batteries are regularly deployed around the world. Patriots are also operated or being purchased by the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Taiwan and Greece, among other countries.
How does the Patriot work?
The system has different capabilities depending on the type of interceptor used.
The earlier PAC-2 interceptor uses a blast-fragmentation warhead that detonates in the vicinity of a target, while the PAC-3 family of missiles uses more accurate technology that hits the target directly.
It is not clear what kind of Patriot systems have been donated to Ukraine, but it is likely that Kyiv has at least some of the newer PAC-3 CRI interceptors.
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The system’s radar has a range of over 150 km, according to Nato.
The Patriot was not originally designed to intercept hypersonic missiles, and its developer, Raytheon, has not yet confirmed if it can do so. But, in May 2023, the US confirmed Ukraine had used it to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile, which Moscow claims is hypersonic.
Since January 2015, the Patriot has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat operations, Raytheon says on its website.
How much does it cost?
A newly produced single Patriot battery costs over $1bn (£746m), including $400m (£298m) for the system and $690m (£515m) for the missiles in a battery, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Patriot interceptors are estimated to cost around $4 million per missile, CSIS says.
Why does Ukraine want more Patriots?
Kyiv has frequently asked Western allies for more air defences to protect critical infrastructure and civilian areas from frequent Russian missile and drone attacks.
While effective at intercepting missiles and aircraft, Patriots are a costly way to shoot down low-budget drones.
Still, Ukrainian officials say they are essential to defending key targets from Russia’s escalating long-range attacks.
Russia says it sees the supply of Patriots as a direct escalation. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier this year that supplying more systems to Ukraine would delay the chances of peace.
Additional reporting by Reuters.