United States Announces New Aid Package for Ukraine Including Patriot System.

At the NATO summit in Washington, President Joe Biden unveiled a new military aid package worth $225 million for Ukraine. The announcement was made during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, July 11, 2024. This new aid package includes a crucial element, a Patriot air defense system.
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The package comprises a Patriot missile battery, NASAMS, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition for HIMARS, and 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds. (Picture source: US DoD)

This aid package, under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, includes various capabilities aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. The package comprises a Patriot missile battery, munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and 155-millimeter and 105-millimeter artillery rounds.

President Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to President Biden, emphasizing the need for "quick steps ... to lift limitations for our Ukrainian soldiers," referring to the restrictions imposed by the United States on the use of their weapons.

The Patriot is a long-range, all-altitude, all-weather air defense system. This system is armed with four missiles, each weighing 900 kg and measuring 5.8 meters in length. The Patriot missiles are designed to reach targets up to 70 kilometers away.

The Patriot is used by many countries, including Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Each missile is equipped with a warhead weighing 90 kg and uses a passive electronically scanned array radar guidance system, which integrates friend-or-foe (IFF) recognition subsystems, electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), and track-via-missile (TVM) guidance. The explosive warhead consists of M248, a blast/fragmentation explosive with two layers of pre-formed fragments, and Octol 75/25 for additional fragmentation.

The radar used in the Patriot system is the AN/MPQ-53 or -65, supported by the AN/MSQ-104 Engagement Control Station (ECS), the OE-349 Antenna Mast Group (AMG), and the EPP-III Electric Power Plant. This radar is crucial for target detection and tracking, allowing for effective air defense against various aerial threats.

Earlier, Zelenskyy had shown optimism about the possibility of his forces being able to use Western-supplied arms more freely to target Russian positions, a crucial request from Ukrainian officials to enhance their defensive operations against the Russian invasion.

During his visit to Capitol Hill, Zelenskyy held discussions with congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. When asked by VOA's Ukrainian Service if he believed all restrictions on the Ukrainian military would be lifted, Zelenskyy replied, "We count on it."

Speaker Johnson, after meeting with Zelenskyy, told VOA's Ukrainian Service, "I explained that the will of Congress was to allow them the flexibility to use the weapons and assistance sent to prosecute the war as they see fit. I believe that's what Congress intended."

House Minority Leader Jeffries described the discussions with Zelenskyy as "very positive," reaffirming the United States' commitment to supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression.