The anti -maissilistic system Mim-104 Patriot is one of the most advanced and important air defense devices available to United Statesdesigned to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles, planes and other flying objectives. In these days there is a lot of talk about the US military support at theUkraine and the fact that, perhaps, these aid will soon be interrupted. At the moment, in fact, about half of the Ukrainian war arsenal is provided by the USA, including Abrams’ tanks and Himars missile systems, and if this support is missing, the outcome of the conflict could vary drastically. All this happens, however, in a moment of strong tensions between Trump and Zelensky regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the exploitation of Ukrainian rare lands by the USA. Among all the devices sent, one the defensive anti -maissilistic system Mim-104 Patriot It represents the latest evolution of the category of earth-air missiles used by the US army. But how does it work and what are the characteristics of this system?
The characteristics of Patriot and how it works
As also reported by the Threat Missile Portal, the Patriot Defense Missilistic System consists of six main components: missiles, launcher, radar, control station, generator and antenna.
The missiles
Currently the Patriot system supports two families of interceptor missiles, i Pac-2 he is Pac-3. The PAC-2 are able to hire ballistic missiles and are often equipped with fragmentation willwhile i Pac-3 not only do they have more contained dimensions But they are based on a different technology called “Hit-to-kill“which plans to explode only to direct contact with the target.
The latter type of missiles, also thanks to a more developed propulsion system and a weight of 312 kg (about a third of the PAC-2), are able to cover an area of seven times greater compared to the previous model.
The launch system
Also in this case, there are different types of launch systems: M901, m902 And M903. Without going into details, just know that the M903 – the most modern – are able to transport up to 4 PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles at the same time. Furthermore, it is good to underline how every means is able to transport up to 8 launch systemsfor a maximum of 32 missiles.
Radar
In 2022 the US government introduced a new radar model, the Ltamds. This system, unlike the predecessors who were able to map only one portion of heaven at a time, is able to provide one 360 ° coverage. Furthermore, unlike other defense systems, Patriot is able to combine functions of surveillance, tracking And jamper In a single medium, far reducing logistical complexity during operations.
Station of conropper
There station control It consists of two consoles with computer and is the only element with crew of the entire battery: the engagement in fact takes place in an almost completely autonomous way, and the only important decision that belongs to the operators is that of launch the missiles or not. At the staff level, a tactical control officer, a tactical control assistant and an operator of communications operate in this location. A recorder can also assist the tactical control assistant, recording messages from the headquarters.
Generator
The last key component is the generator which, in reality, is not on board the Patriot itself. THE’electricity In fact, it is necessary thanks to another vehicle called Electric Power Plant (EPP) inside which are present Two 150 kW generators And that is connected with the defensive system, so as to feed it.
The Patriot Missilistic System in Ukraine
At the moment in Ukraine they are present 7 Patriot systems whose goal is not so much to defend the troops but the city. To continue working properly, the US must continue to send missiles And spare parts Or, alternatively, that other countries buy these elements and send them to Ukraine in turn. In this regard, it is to be understood whether in this eventuality the US government is favorable or not for operations of this type.
Also noteworthy is the realization of a factory of Patriot missiles In Germany, which will not however be operational before 2027.
