Pentagon officials, whose name has not been released, said the Patriot anti-aircraft system delivered to the US will be operational within two months at the latest. This was reported by the War Zone publication, citing its own sources. On December 21, the US Department of Defense officially announced a new package of defense assistance to Ukraine worth $ 1.85 billion, which includes a battery of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile complex and ammunition for it.

In the conditions of constant missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, the provision of this powerful anti-aircraft complex should significantly increase the ability of the Armed Forces to intercept Russian cruise missiles. But we should not expect the Patriot air defense system to be deployed in Ukraine in the near future. Unnamed officials of the US Department of Defense commented on the publication Battlefield The situation surrounding Ukraine’s acquisition of new weapons.

“We hope that it will take several months to prepare the Ukrainian army, which is necessary for its successful use.‘ said a senior Pentagon official on condition of anonymity.

He added that the United States is cooperating with Ukraine for “help them master and integrate various tools [ППО]“.

In addition to the fact that training will begin “soonCiting security considerations, the official declined to give a specific time frame and say how many Ukrainian soldiers will be trained to operate the system, where the training will take place, or when the system will be operational in Ukraine.

To the editor’s question BattlefieldAnother senior US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to comment on whether the US would provide the most advanced Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) missiles or older PAC-3 missiles. missile launch accuracy from the Patriot PAC-3 complex

The latest interceptors allow Patriot anti-aircraft batteries to cover a much larger radius and have greater defensive capabilities against tactical ballistic missiles than older versions. Currently, it is known from public sources that the Patriot air defense system is capable of hitting air targets at an altitude of up to 24.2 km, and its range depends on the type of missile and varies from 50 to 160 km. Source