On Tuesday, a senior administration official announced that the Biden administration plans to send the Patriot missile system, considered the most advanced air defense weapon in their arsenal, to Ukraine as part of a $2 billion package of weapons.
The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity prior to a formal announcement, according to The Washington Post, revealed that the package will be unveiled by President Biden during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Wednesday.
During the visit, Zelensky will meet with Biden at the White House and address a joint session of Congress. The timing of the visit coincides with Russia’s ongoing campaign of airstrikes targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and electrical grid, which has caused widespread power outages across the country.
The Patriot missile system will consist of one battery with up to eight launchers, each of which can hold between four and 16 missiles depending on the type of munition used. U.S. forces will provide training to Ukrainian troops on how to operate and maintain the system in a third country, most likely Germany.
“This will take some time,” the official stated, “but Ukrainian troops will take that training back to their country to operate this battery.” It is unlikely that the air defense system will arrive in Ukraine before spring.
The new weapons package will bring the total amount of military support for Ukraine approved by the Biden administration to approximately $22 billion.
WaPo details the advanced weapons system’s technical specifications as well as its cost and availability:
First used in combat during the Gulf War to take out Iraqi Scud missiles, the Patriot system relies on a sophisticated radar to find incoming threats, including cruise and ballistic missiles, and launches long-range missiles to intercept them. Typically deployed on the back of a truck, it requires a crew of at least three soldiers to operate, with extensive backup needed to keep it functional. The United States has about 90 troops assigned to a typical Patriot battery. Patriot-launched missiles can fly to altitudes as high as 79,000 feet, with an operational range of up to 100 miles, depending on the ammunition. A single battery costs about $1 billion, and missiles can run several million dollars each. The systems, produced by Raytheon, are in great demand and short supply, currently in use in about 16 countries. The battery supplied to Ukraine will probably be transferred from systems already deployed in Europe.