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December 23, 2022
PATRIOT Air and Missile Defense System for Ukraine
DOD’s December 21, 2022, Ukraine
The PATRIOT air and missile defense (AMD) system is an
Security Assistance Announcement
integral component of U.S. air and missile defense. The
DOD’s December 21, 2022, announcement appears to
system and its interceptors are both expensive and limited
represent a change in the Biden Administration’s position
in supply. On December 21, 2022, the Department of
on the supply of PATRIOT units to Ukraine. Since Russia’s
Defense (DOD) announced that the United States would
February 2022 invasion, the Ukraine government
provide a PATRIOT battery to Ukraine as part of a larger
repeatedly has asked the United States to supply PATRIOT
$1.85 billion security assistance package. The provision of
systems. The United States to date has provided other, less
PATRIOT units now, and whether or not the United States
capable AMD systems. According to a DOD news article,
may transfer additional PATRIOT units to Ukraine in the
“Ukraine Getting Patriot Battery, Other Defense Weapons,”
future, present issues that Congress will face in both its
the United States will transfer a PATRIOT battery under
legislative and oversight roles.
the provisions of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA),
meaning PATRIOT battery systems, equipment, and
What Is the PATRIOT System?
associated interceptors could be taken from existing
PATRIOT (Figure 1) is an acronym for “Phased Array
units/stocks within the Army (22 U.S.C.§2318(a)(1)). DOD
Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target.”
further noted:
Figure 1. PATRIOT Launcher Stations
PATRIOT is one of the world’s most advanced air
defense systems, and it will give Ukraine a critical
long-range capability to defend its airspace. It is
capable of intercepting cruise missiles, ballistic
missiles and aircraft ... Our goal is to help Ukraine
strengthen a layered integrated approach to air
defense. PATRIOT will complement a range of
medium and short-range air defense capabilities
[Stinger and National Advanced Surface-to-Air
Missile System (NASAMS)] that we have provided
and the allies have provided in prior donation
packages ... PATRIOT is a sophisticated air defense
system so training will be required and will take
some time.
Source: Bloomberg, “US Finalizing Arms Upgrade to Ukraine With
How PATRIOT Functions
Patriot Missiles,” December 13, 2022.
PATRIOT battery components and how they function are
summarized in a NATO Fact Sheet on Patriot Deployment:
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle
A PATRIOT battery has six major components: a
Management Command (AMCOM) notes:
power plant [two vehicle-mounted 150 kilo watt
The PATRIOT is the U.S. Army’s most advanced
(KW) generators], radar set, engagement control
air defense system. Capable of defeating both high
station, launcher stations, antenna mast group, and
performance aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles,
interceptor missiles (PAC-2s and PAC-3s).
it is the only operational [U.S.] air defense system
- The Radar Set provides detection and tracking of
that can shoot down attacking missiles. A
targets as well as fire control. The phased array
PATRIOT battery (the basic firing unit) consists of
radar helps guide interceptors to their targets and is
about 90 soldiers, but three soldiers in the
resistant to jamming.
engagement control station are the only personnel
required to operate the battery in combat.
- The Engagement Control Station calculates
trajectories for interceptors and controls the
Raytheon Technologies manufactures PATRIOT radar and
launching sequence. It communicates with the
ground systems, and Lockheed Martin manufactures the
interceptor missiles.
launcher stations and other PATRIOT batteries. It
is the only manned station in a PATRIOT fire unit.
- The Launcher Stations transport and protect the
interceptor missiles and provide the platform for the
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PATRIOT Air and Missile Defense System for Ukraine
physical launch of the missile. Each launcher
highest operational tempos of the joint force. Every
station can accommodate four PAC-2 missiles or 16
battalion, battery, and firing unit is therefore a
PAC-3 missiles.
valuable commodity. The Ukraine war has further
heightened this tempo, with additional U.S. units
- The Antenna Mast Group is the main
deployed in Eastern Europe. How sending a
communications backbone for the PATRIOT unit.
PATRIOT battery to Ukraine will affect operations
- The Interceptor Missiles: PAC-2 is a proximity-
depends on where the equipment comes from. If it
fusing missile, which explodes near an incoming
is withdrawn from other operational forces, such as
missile, PAC-3 has been specifically designed to
U.S. Central Command or U.S. Indo-Pacific
intercept and destroy missiles by impacting them
Command, that transferring the system to Ukraine
directly with kinetic energy- known as “hit to kill.”
may create opportunity costs and potential risks in
those theaters. If they are withdrawn from the U.S.
- Once the interceptor missile is launched, the
homeland, that could impede
training or
phased array radar tracks it. As the interceptor
modernization cycles. Out of the 15 Patriot
approaches the target, its active seeker will steer it
battalions currently available, one is usually being
to the target. A PAC-2 interceptor will detonate
modernized as part of a relatively slow, 15-or-so-
near the threat missile whereas a PAC-3 will seek
year modernization cycle.
to impact the threat ballistic missile warhead.
PATRIOT Ranges and Coverage
PATRIOT Training Considerations
The provision of a PATRIOT battery to Ukraine also
Official PATRIOT ranges and coverages are not available.
requires training for both operators and maintenance
Reportedly, the PATRIOT’s phase-arrayed radar system
personnel. According to CSIS:
has a range in excess of 150 kilometers (km) and the
capacity to track up to 100 targets, providing missile
Training courses for Patriot operators and
guidance data for up to nine missiles. The flight ceiling for
maintainers normally take many months. The
PATRIOT interceptors is about 20 km and PATRIOT can
PATRIOT system repairer course, for example,
provide area coverage and defense for about 15 to 20 km
takes 53 weeks. Others are not quite so lengthy. The
for incoming ballistic missiles.
fire control operator course is 20 weeks. The launch
Other Nations with PATRIOT Systems
system operator course is 13 weeks. Ukraine could
save time by sending trained air defenders—for
The U.S. Army notes 16 other nations have PATRIOT
example, troops trained on the S-300 system, which
systems, including a number of NATO members—
Ukraine has operated for many years. Nevertheless,
Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland, and
there is a lot of learning to do before Ukraine will
Romania—and other non-NATO nations, such as Japan,
have a functioning PATRIOT system on the
Republic of Korea, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
ground.
United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, and Bahrain (sale approved
by U.S. State Department in May 2019).
Considerations for Congress
PATRIOT System Costs
Oversight questions Congress could consider include the
following:
Official PATRIOT system cost figures are not publicly
available. According to a December 16, 2022, Center for
What are the readiness implications for the Army and
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) article, “Patriot
Combatant Commands associated with providing a
to Ukraine: What Does it Mean?,” a newly produced
PATRIOT battery to Ukraine using Presidential
PATRIOT battery costs about $1.1 billion, including about
Drawdown Authority (PDA)?
$400 million for the system and about $690 million for the
missiles. CSIS further suggests future U.S. PATRIOT
Will NATO allies provide PATRIOT systems and/or
interceptors to Ukraine in response to the
battalions (U.S. PATRIOT battalions consist of four
Administration’s December 21, 2022, announcement?
PATRIOT batteries) could cost up to $1.27 billion dollars
apiece without missiles. PATRIOT interceptors are
If additional PATRIOT systems and/or interceptors are
estimated to cost about $4 million per missile.
provided to Ukraine, will DOD’s security cooperation
authorities be used in lieu of PDA?
U.S. Army PATRIOT Units and
Readiness Considerations
With the high cost of PATRIOT interceptors, will
Because the PATRIOT battery and associated interceptors
restrictions be imposed on what types of hostile systems
being sent to Ukraine could be taken from existing Army
can be engaged by PATRIOT?
units and stockpiles, an understanding of PATRIOT in the
What are DOD’s and NATO’s plans to train and qualify
basic force structure and related readiness issues could
additional Ukrainian PATRIOT crews and support
prove useful to policymakers. According to the Army, there
personnel?
are 15 PATRIOT battalions, all of which are in the Active
Component. CSIS further notes:
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
PATRIOT is a low-density, high-demand asset to
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the U.S. air defense efforts and has one of the
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PATRIOT Air and Missile Defense System for Ukraine
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