Patriot deliveries delayed: Ukrainian skies remain vulnerable
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed that Ukraine has not yet received all five Patriot air defence systems promised by allies during the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024. This is one of the weapons the Ukrainian delegation advocated for the most. Let's recall its capabilities.
"I consider the decision in Washington regarding the additional five Patriots for Ukraine a significant achievement concerning NATO's actions. Not everyone has fulfilled this yet, but the decision was positive," said the President of Ukraine, as quoted by the Unian agency.
Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine
Zelensky did not specify which countries have not yet delivered the promised Patriot systems to Ukraine. Information that surfaced in the media after the NATO summit in Washington indicated that the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania had pledged to provide them. The authorities of the last-mentioned country confirmed in October 2024 that the equipment was delivered to the Ukrainian side.
The Patriot is a surface-to-air missile defence and anti-missile system manufactured by the American Raytheon. It is characterized by very high effectiveness, which has also been proven in the ongoing war. Ukrainian military personnel evaluate the Patriot as one of the best weapons of its kind in the world, enabling significant damage to Russian aviation.
Capabilities of the Patriot system
The exact capabilities of the Patriot system depend on several factors, including the radar version, the type of target being combated, and the missiles used. In the MIM-104A variants, the launched missiles reach speeds of about 3,600 km/h, but in the PAC-2 and PAC-3 MSE variants, it's up to approximately 6,200 km/h. With the help of PAC-3 MSE, ballistic missiles can also be countered.
An essential feature of the Patriot system is its mobility. The components are mounted on vehicle platforms. A complete Patriot system consists of launchers a computerized command post, and a phased-array radar.
In December 2024, Zelensky stated that with an additional 10-12 Patriot systems, Ukraine could "completely close its sky to Russian missiles."
