Yuriy Ignat, the spokesperson for the Air Force, stated that only the actual use of the Patriot air defense systems in combat will reveal their ability to intercept ballistic missiles such as “Iskander” and “Kinjal”. He made this announcement during a national telethon broadcast.
According to him, Patriots are capable of shooting down ballistic targets, but they haven’t encountered “Iskanders” or “Kinzhals” yet.
“We’ll see if it can take them down. Only real combat will show that. Patriot is one of the best air defense systems in the world,” said Ignat.
He noted that the expected Ukrainian SAM system SAMP-T is also capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
The more of such complexes, the more directions we will have to repel Russian aviation,” he summarized.
Previously existing air defense systems in Ukraine did not have the capability to shoot down ballistic missiles.
BACKGROUND: The Patriot systems were developed by Raytheon and were first deployed by the US army in the mid-1980s. The Patriot system is being modernized and is in service with more than ten countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, and Spain. According to German military sources, the Patriot system covers an area of about 68 km. Its radar can track up to 50 targets, and the system can engage five of them simultaneously. Depending on the modification, the interceptor missiles can reach altitudes of over 24 km and engage targets at distances of up to 160 km.
Earlier, the Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov officially confirmed the arrival of the Patriots to Ukraine. Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavlyuk stated that the Patriots arrived in Ukraine from three countries. The Advisor to the Minister of Defense Oleksiy Kopytko said that the Patriots would help better cover the troops on the front line.