At the beginning of last year, in Davos, during the World Economic Forum, Zelensky let out a comment that seemed sincere. I just have to say a big thank you to the creators of the Patriot. There is no similar system capable of countering any Russian missile, from conventional to ballistic. And in fact, according to all military experts, there is no such powerful and precise surface-to-air system in the world.
Ukraine currently has eight Patriot systems: of these, only six are operational (the other two are under repair), almost all of which are deployed in the capital to protect not only civilians but also the buildings where Ukrainian institutions are based. To function, a Patriot needs missiles: these are the Pac-3 and Pac-2, the only ones capable of countering the Russian Iskander and Khinzal. Furthermore, to operate it, 90 soldiers per battery are needed.
Patriots are few and far between. There are 186 operational systems worldwide, according to researchers at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, and only 16 countries have them. The United States has about a third of them, and has sent many abroad to protect allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Several dozen are deployed in the Indo-Pacific region to respond to threats from China and North Korea, although the United States recently moved at least one to the Middle East to protect Israel. European allies have about 40, including eight now in Ukraine. The ninth Patriot, from Israel and under review for Ukraine, is an older and thus less effective model.
Designed in the late 1960s, the system was developed by Raytheon, an American multinational aerospace and defense company based in Arlington, Virginia. Its acronym comes from the radar component: Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept On Target. First used during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1990, to protect Israel and Saudi Arabia from Russian-made Scuds used by Saddam Hussein's army, it was later upgraded.
Since taking office, Trump has publicly ignored Zelensky's requests to buy more Patriots and once called him a president who is always looking for missiles. One of the issues to be resolved is, of course, the very high cost of this weapon. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that each battery costs about $1.1 billion: $400 million for the system, $690 million for the missiles; the cost of a single missile is estimated at $4.1 million (3.8 million euros). One of the biggest challenges Ukraine faces is maintaining a sufficient stockpile of interceptors. But while Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are increasing production of the Pac-3s, the amount is still not enough to meet Kiev's growing needs.
It is difficult to find alternatives to the expensive and rare Patriot. Over the past decade, France and Italy have jointly developed the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air/Ground System (Samp/T) capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, drones, fighter jets and other targets. However, many European countries prefer the American rival because it is considered more reliable. The German Iris-T technology could also be an option but it is a short-range system while the Patriot has a broader range.
So when Zelensky says we count on the continued support of the US, because it has certain means that Europe does not have, such as the Patriot missiles, he is not saying anything that Trump does not already know. That is, without the Patriots, millions of Ukrainian human lives are at risk. And that Putin has an easy game in winning the war.
