Ukraine’s defense minister confirmed on Wednesday that Kyiv had received Patriot air defense systems and said it had made Ukraine’s skies safer, Reuters reported.
“Our air defense forces learned to use them as quickly as possible. And our partners kept their word,” Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov wrote on Twitter.
He did not specify which partners he was talking about, but in his tweet expressed his gratitude to the German Minister of Defense.
“Patriots” for patriots
Do you know how to visualize a dream? We need to tell the world about it and give it life! This is exactly what happened to the patriots, even before the large-scale war, even before my appointment to the most important post of my life, at most… pic.twitter.com/m6H63erV6Z
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 19, 2023
What is Patriot?
The Patriot is a surface-to-air guided missile system that was first deployed in the 1980s and can engage aircraft, cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles.
Patriot systems are delivered in fully mobile batteries that include a command center, threat detection radar and launchers.
The interceptor missile for the Patriot system costs about $4 million (€3.8 million) and the launchers cost about $10 million (€9.4 million) each.
According to the German military, the Patriot system covers an area of about 68 kilometers. Its radar can track up to 50 targets and hit five of them simultaneously.
Against cruise missiles and drones, Ian Williams notes, the Patriot’s value is limited because their radar has a 120-degree range, while NASAMS monitors the horizon 360 degrees, AFP reported.
Ukrainian military trained by the USA and Germany
The USA and Germany agreed to supply Kyiv with one of the systems. The Netherlands also undertook to supply missiles and spare parts.
The German agency dpa, citing a German military source, reported that Ukrainian military personnel were trained by Germany and the United States in a NATO country, where joint training took place.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to find an “antidote” against the Patriot air defense system.
Source: Hot News
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