Germany to provide additional Patriot Air Defense Missiles to Ukraine.

On June 12, 2024, during a visit to Germany with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the German Defense Minister announced the donation of 100 Patriot guided missiles to Ukraine, during a training session for Ukrainian soldiers on the Patriot defense system.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

German MoD announced the donation of 100 Patriot guided missiles to Ukraine (Picture source: German MoD)

Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022, Germany has provided substantial support to Ukraine, including previously two batteries of the Patriot air defense missile system, two launch units, an additional radar, and 200 surface-to-air missiles. These systems play a crucial role in intercepting aerial threats and are part of a broader effort to strengthen Ukraine's defensive posture against Russian military actions.

Before the conflict, Germany had a significant arsenal of Patriot systems, equipped with 30 M902 Patriot PAC-3 launch units, each capable of holding 16 surface-to-air missiles. Its interception strategy focuses on the terminal phase, aiming to destroy the threat near its intended impact point. Unlike earlier iterations of the Patriot that targeted mid-course phase threats, the PAC-3 missile, with a range of about 20 km (12.4 miles) and capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 5, uses a hit-to-kill interceptor mechanism to annihilate the target.

This arsenal represents a significant component of the country's air defense strategy, which is now partially redirected to aid Ukraine's resistance.

The Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM-T) is a variant of the Patriot missile system, designed to enhance the U.S. and allied forces' defensive capabilities. This missile is particularly effective against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and enemy aircraft, serving as a complement to the PAC-3 missile. Key improvements in the GEM-T include a modernized digital fuze that addresses previous obsolescence issues and boosts performance against fast-moving ballistic missile targets. Enhancements in the missile's seeker sensitivity, thanks to a low-noise front end and a new low-noise oscillator, enable better acquisition and tracking capabilities. These technological updates also improve the missile's ability to distinguish and track small airborne threats and cruise missiles amidst background clutter.

The PATRIOT missile system is a mobile air defense and anti-ballistic missile system, designed and manufactured in the United States. It was put into service in 1981 and reached its initial operational capability in 1984. The main designers of the system are Raytheon, Hughes, and RCA, while the manufacturers include Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.

Regarding unit cost, the domestic cost for a battery is about 1.09 billion US dollars (for fiscal year 2022), and for a single PAC-3 MSE missile, the cost is 4 million US dollars. For export, the cost for a battery ranges between 2.37 and 2.5 billion US dollars, and for a single missile, it is between 6 and 10 million US dollars (for fiscal year 2018).

The PATRIOT system has been produced since 1976, and so far, 1,106 launchers have been built in the United States, of which 483 were in service in 2010. Additionally, more than 172 launchers have been exported and over 10,000 missiles have been manufactured.