Germany has finally decided to give Ukraine two Patriot air defense missile systems, which will be allocated directly from the Bundeswehr's stock. The peculiarity of the situation is that these systems will be transferred in a somewhat hybrid manner. The first launchers will be transferred in the coming days, and other elements of these air defense systems, possibly including radars, will follow within the next two to three months.
We can refer to a Reuters report as the primary source, which is based on remarks by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. It is stated that Berlin will instead receive new air defense systems from the U.S.
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From Defense Express we would like to note that even this "hybrid" form of transferring Patriot systems from Germany could have an unexpected effect on strengthening Ukraine's air defense.
To illustrate this, it is worth mentioning FrankenSAM, particularly the part of the program that combines Patriot launchers with Soviet- or Ukrainian-made radars. These radars were previously used successfully to target russian Su-34 and A-50 aircraft.
When it comes to transfers, Patriot systems are typically quantified in terms of fire units and batteries, with each battery comprising three to five fire units.
A complete fire unit typically includes four to eight launchers, a radar, and a command vehicle, although exceptions exist. For example, Patriot batteries supplied to Sweden and those planned for Switzerland each have three launchers. In 2025, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of aPatriot fire unit to Romania that includes only two launchers, one radar, and one fire control vehicle.
It is also worth considering data from IISS calculations: if all information on Western air defense systems supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2022 were compiled into a single table, it would reveal a diverse but sparse collection of systems. This means that by that point, Ukraine had received five complete Patriot batteries — one from the U.S., one from Romania, and three from Germany, as well as nine launchers from Germany and the Netherlands.
This explains why Germany cannot provide two Patriot fire units at once, and why the transfer will occur gradually, with compensation from the U.S.
Given the current circumstances, even receiving launchers that can be integrated with Ukraine's own radar systems is better than receiving no assistance at all. If this initiative successfully replicates one of the developments from the FrankenSAM program, it will significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defense in a rather unexpected way.
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