Military expert on main problem with Patriot air defense system in Ukraine

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

”Patriot is quite flexible as a system, but it is believed to support up to eight launchers. Usually, countries use much less. For example, Sweden ordered three launchers for one radar station and one command post. The problem with the Patriot transfer is the provision of missiles for these systems,” Katkov emphasized.

The military expert highlighted the limited production of ammunition for anti-aircraft missile systems. According to official disclosures from missile manufacturers like Raytheon, they produce 240 GEM-T missiles annually, designed for aircraft and aerodynamic targets. Similarly, Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon stated their annual production is 500 missiles, which intercept ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons. 

This limited production means that the available missiles are already allocated to Patriot operators worldwide. While not all operators use these missiles as extensively as Ukraine, recent commitments from European countries to supply a hundred missiles illustrate the difficulty in obtaining sufficient Patriot missiles in current conditions, Katkov summarized.

• On June 11, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a new aid package for Ukraine, which includes the Patriot air defense system, IRIS-T, Gepard, and ammunition. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius added that Germany and its allies provide Ukraine with 100 missiles for the Patriot system.
• U.S. President Joe Biden approved the deployment of another Patriot missile system in Ukraine.
• Head of the National Security Bureau Jacek Siewiera says that the deployment of the Patriot missile system through Poland is dangerous for the country.