The United States does not yet plan to transfer Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine, capable of destroying aerodynamic and ballistic targets at a distance of 160 km and 50 km, respectively. This was announced at a briefing by the official representative of the US Department of Defense Pat Ryder.
“We are discussing a wide range of options for helping Ukraine. We regularly consult with Ukrainian partners and other allies. Air defense assistance remains a priority for the US Department of Defense and the international community. As for the Patriot systems, at this stage we do not plan to supply them to Ukraine. But discussions will continue,” he said.
Ryder explained this by the fact that highly qualified personnel are needed to use the system: it is impossible to simply put the Patriot on the battlefield and start using the complex. In the same context, he mentioned the Abrams tanks and modern American fighters – all this must be able to serve.
The issue of transferring Patriot complexes to Ukraine has been discussed very actively in recent days, the BBC notes . Especially after the November incident in Poland, when rockets fell in the village of Przewoduv, 6 km from the border with Ukraine. So, CNN reported the day before, citing sources, that the United States is still considering the possibility of sending a Patriot, since Ukraine's air defense is now "the main priority."
The Insider previously wrote that one of the main problems with the Patriot complexes is that it is an expensive, technologically complex and capricious system in terms of operation and maintenance. One Patriot battery costs approximately $1 billion and requires 70 skilled personnel.