The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Two more Patriot air defense systems have taken up the defense of Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
As previously stated by Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal, this was achieved thanks to recent agreements with the German government.
Patriot is a U.S.-made surface-to-air missile system and one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world. It is designed to destroy aircraft as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. Patriot is capable of intercepting high-speed and complex targets, providing layered defense for strategic facilities and large cities.
The Ministry of Defense outlined the main advantages of the Patriot system:
- Versatility. The system destroys various aerodynamic and ballistic targets, including hypersonic ones. Patriot missiles can intercept hypersonic missiles such as Zircon and Kinzhal, which reach speeds of up to 11,000 km/h and up to 16,000 km/h respectively.
- High efficiency. The ultra-precise Patriot radar uses technologies that allow it to detect and track multiple targets simultaneously. Patriot missiles (especially the PAC-3 MSE version) have high accuracy and hit targets by direct impact, which is critical for protection against ballistic missiles.
- Multitasking. One Patriot battery can simultaneously detect up to 100 targets and track up to 8 targets.
- Automation. The ability to operate in automatic mode allows Patriot to respond instantly to threats, which is vital for intercepting hypersonic missiles.
- Range and altitude. Patriot can engage aerial targets at altitudes of up to 24 km and at distances of up to 160 km, covering large areas.
Currently, Patriot air defense systems protect Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, reducing losses from enemy cruise and ballistic missile strikes on energy and civilian facilities.
The Ministry of Defense recalled that on December 17, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal announced the signing of a number of new important agreements with German partners totaling more than €1.2 billion.
Primarily, thanks to agreements between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany committed to allocate €11.5 billion to support Ukraine.
