The Ukrainian Armed Forces have changed their tactics for using Patriot systems in air defense
The Ukrainian military has adapted the American Patriot air defense systems to the conditions of full-scale war by developing its own tactics for countering Russian ballistic missiles. This new approach conserves expensive interceptor missiles, improves the effectiveness of air defense, and protects the systems from enemy strikes.
According to the publication, due to limited stocks of interceptor missiles, the Ukrainian military is increasingly using a single missile to intercept a target instead of two or more, as standard guidelines recommend.
In addition, Patriot systems have been switched to manual mode to avoid using expensive missiles against low-value aerial targets, particularly attack drones. To destroy them, Ukrainian defenders are using mobile fire teams, machine guns, helicopters, and interceptor drones.
Another key element of the new tactics is the “fire-and-forget” principle. After launching missiles, Patriot crews quickly leave their positions to avoid Russian retaliatory strikes.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are also actively using realistic mock-ups of Patriot systems to distract the enemy, while the actual systems are carefully camouflaged. According to the publication, a single mock-up costs about $30,000, whereas a combat-ready Patriot system costs approximately $1 billion.
Vyacheslav Ageev, commander of the Ukrainian Patriot unit, said that initially, Ukrainian troops used the tactics they had been taught by American instructors at Fort Sill.
However, combat operations forced them to change their approach.
“The Ukrainian military supplemented the knowledge they acquired with their own solutions and abandoned some of the standard procedures to increase the systems’ effectiveness in combat conditions,” Ageev noted.
Despite the successful adaptation of the Patriot systems, the shortage of interceptor missiles remains a serious problem for Ukraine’s air defense.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia has launched 521 ballistic missiles at Ukraine since the beginning of the year, of which 164 were intercepted.
The New York Times notes that wars in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region have significantly depleted global stocks of Patriot missiles, so it will not be easy to quickly replenish Ukraine’s reserves.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the U.S. to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot systems and interceptor missiles. Currently, aside from the United States, Germany and Japan hold such licenses.
Tom Karako, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that following the depletion of U.S. stockpiles due to other military conflicts, Ukraine has become a lower-priority recipient of new missiles, and global demand for them significantly exceeds production capacity.
This was reported by The New York Times.
Ukraine has virtually run out of interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defense systems, which are capable of effectively shooting down ballistic missiles. The shelling on July 6 exposed a grim reality as the enemy intensifies its campaign of strikes against Ukrainian cities.
On July 6, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called for an urgent meeting of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. According to him, participants must agree on a comprehensive plan to enhance the capital’s resilience amid intensifying Russian attacks.
Air Force Spokesperson Yuriy Ignat stated during a televised marathon that a stockpile of interceptor missiles is necessary to intercept ballistic missiles. He noted that Ukraine has enough Patriot systems, but a steady supply of missiles for them is needed.
