Ukraine said on Tuesday it had shot down six Russian Kinjal hypersonic missiles overnight, a major setback for Moscow’s efforts to develop the next generation of unstoppable weapons.

It is unclear what air defense system Kyiv used to shoot down the missiles, but last week the US military confirmed that Ukraine had shot down a Kinjal missile with the US Patriot system.

What is the Patriot Missile System?

Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a surface-to-air missile defense system developed by Raytheon Technologies Corp and considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the US arsenal.

The system was first used in combat during the 1991 Gulf War, when the batteries defended Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Israel, and was later used during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

Can the Patriot shoot down hypersonic missiles?

The Patriot system was developed before hypersonic weapons were sent to the battlefield, and Raytheon has not publicly stated that it is effective against hypersonic missiles, meaning missiles that travel five times the speed of sound.

While the U.S. said a Patriot system shot down a Kinjal missile last week, it is unclear whether the missile was traveling at hypersonic speeds at the time.

Although Russia’s Kinjal missile can reach speeds of up to 7,600 mph (12,350 km/h), “Russia’s definition of the Kinjal missile as ‘hypersonic’ is misleading because almost all ballistic missiles reach hypersonic speeds (i.e. above Mach 5) . ) at some point during their flight,” according to a March 2022 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

How does the Patriot system work?

A Patriot is a mobile system that typically includes a powerful radar, control station, power generator, launch stations, and other support facilities.

The system has different capabilities depending on the type of interceptor – a battery-launched missile.

The older PAC-2 interceptor uses a fragmentation warhead, while the PAC-3 missiles use more advanced hit-to-kill technology.

It is unclear which Patriot systems were gifted to Ukraine, but it is likely that Kyiv has at least some of the newer PAC-3 CRI interceptors.

According to NATO data in 2015, the system’s radar has a range of over 150 km.

How much does the Patriot cost?

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an American think tank in Washington, a single newly manufactured Patriot battery costs more than $1 billion, including $400 million for the system and $690 million for the missiles in the battery.

How does the Patriot system help Ukraine?

Ukraine has said it needs more air defense systems to protect itself from the Russian military’s array of missiles and drones.

The United States also provided Ukraine with a pair of national advanced anti-aircraft missile systems (NASAMS).

While the Patriot system is designed to intercept threats such as aircraft and ballistic missiles, it can also shoot down the kamikaze drones that Russia often sends to strike critical Ukrainian infrastructure.

But that would be an extremely expensive way to destroy drones that only cost thousands of dollars.

How much is the Patriot system used?

Raytheon has built more than 240 Patriot systems, and they are currently in use in 18 countries, including the United States.

The system is in high demand in the Middle East because of the threat Iran poses to the region.

According to Raytheon, the system has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat since 2015.

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