Two Patriot divisions in Ukraine, another due soon, but more are needed, Air Force says
Another division of the Patriot air defense system will soon arrive in Ukraine, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Novyny.Live channel.
Two Patriot divisions are on combat duty in Ukraine today, and another one from Germany will soon arrive.
"You can't have too many Patriots, just like cruise missiles, we need more systems for defense. This system shoots down not only planes, but also ballistic missiles," Ihnat said.
The division consists of a command center, a radar station, that is, a radar that provides information about air targets, and up to eight launchers.
The United States announced the transfer of the first Patriot battery to Ukraine in December 2022, later Ukraine received another battery from the Netherlands.
Raytheon Technologies plans to manufacture five more batteries of the Patriot air defense system for Ukraine by the end of 2024.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 50 Patriot batteries are needed to close the Ukrainian sky.
According to the German military, Patriot covers an area with a radius of about 68 km. The radar can track up to 50 targets and target five of them simultaneously. Depending on the modification, interceptor missiles can reach a height of more than 24 km and hit targets at a distance of up to 160 km.
