Next week, the Ukrainian military is expected to begin training on the Patriot missile system at the US base at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, CNN reports citing an American official.
Laura Cooper, the US assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, said the training program would last “several months”.
The Pentagon said last week that the United States is considering sending Ukrainian troops to the United States to train with the Patriot missile system, as well as training them abroad “or a combination of both.”
“I think we’re clearly at a point in this battle where we can provide that kind of training to allow Ukraine to maintain those kinds of systems so they can focus on defending their country and taking territory,” he said. This was announced by the general press secretary of the Pentagon, Pat Ryder.
By December 2022, the United States has trained about 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers in various systems.
Almost half of these troops were trained using M777 howitzers or HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, two systems that have been central to Ukrainian operations so far. Ukrainian forces also trained on equipment, various types of artillery, drones and other systems.
On December 22, US President Joe Biden officially announced that the United States will send an additional $1.8 billion aid package to Ukraine, which will include the Patriot missile system.
“It will take some time to complete the necessary training” to operate the system, but the Patriot missiles will be a “crucial element” for Ukraine’s air defense, Joe Biden said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Germany will also provide an additional Patriot air defense battery following Washington’s donation.
According to the Pentagon, the Patriot system costs between $450 million and $550 million, depending on the configuration of the platform. Each rocket costs about 4 million dollars.
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.
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.
Source: Hot News
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