According to CNN, which cited two U.S. officials and a senior administration official, the Biden administration is finalizing plans to deploy the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, which may be revealed as soon as this week.
It is unknown how many missile launchers will be supplied, but a typical Patriot battery consists of a radar set that detects and tracks targets, computers, power-generation equipment, an engagement control station, and up to eight launchers, each of which holds four ready-to-fire missiles.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin must still approve the Pentagon's plan before it is delivered to President Joe Biden for signing. According to the three officials cited by CNN, clearance is expected.
The Patriots are anticipated to ship fast after the blueprints are completed in the upcoming days, and Ukrainians will be taught to use them at a U.S. Army facility in Grafenwoehr, Germany, according to officials.
Since it has been the target of a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks that have destroyed crucial infrastructure all over the country, Ukraine has been pleading with the US to send the cutting-edge long-range air defense system that is highly effective at intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles. According to officials, it will assist safeguard airspace for NATO nations in eastern Europe and would be the most effective long-range defensive missile system supplied to the country.
Patriot missile batteries, in contrast to smaller air defense systems, require substantially bigger personnel, with dozens of employees required to successfully operate them. Patriot missile battery training typically takes several months, a procedure that the US will now undertake under the pressure of near-daily aircraft strikes from Russia.
The system is widely regarded as one of the most capable long-range defense systems for defending airspace against incoming ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as some aircraft. Its long-range and high-altitude capabilities allow it to potentially knock down Russian missiles and planes far from their intended targets within Ukraine.
In the past, the U.S. has provided Patriot batteries to NATO allies like Poland in order to reinforce their defenses and other weapon systems to Ukraine in order to support the country's defenses against the Russian invasion.
In recent months, the U.S. has delivered Ukraine defensive mid-range National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems.
In a recent interview with CNN, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the U.S. is "very focused" on giving Ukraine air defense systems.
"We're now very focused on air defense systems and not just us, many other countries," Blinken said.
