Ukraine's allies have responded to its call for long-range anti-aircraft defenses with new provisions. In April, Germany announced its third supply of Patriot anti-missile systems, and in May, Italy committed to providing a whole SAMP/T system. Now, two more air defense systems are being promised to Ukraine.
Sources in the United States told the Associated Press that Washington will allocate another Patriot battery, marking the second such unit from the U.S. Considering the context, the decision is quite expected: Germany has already transferred 25% of all Patriots in the Bundeswehr and is discussing the possibility of transferring a fourth SAM — equivalent to a third of its stock — while the U.S. has only transferred one of its approximately 60 batteries so far. However, it is important to note that the U.S. has been and remains the main provider of anti-aircraft missiles for these systems.
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Ukraine can also count on another Patriot system currently being assembled. Its core component is already available thanks to the Netherlands. The radar and three launchers are ready for transfer, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on the sidelines of the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, held in Berlin.
Today I was in Berlin, accompanied by @Minister_FIN Steven van Weyenberg, for a summit on recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine. We are ramping up our support in order to bolster Ukraine’s economy and society, and to ensure it can continue to withstand Russia’s aggression. The… pic.twitter.com/lZpfdyCO3p— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) June 11, 2024
The radar, specifically the AN/MPQ-53, is the most important and valuable component of the Patriot air defense system. The Netherlands, however, still needs to find a country that will complete the battery with launchers, a command post, communication, and support vehicles.
Either way, assembling a Patriot battery through joint efforts is much easier than allocating the entire complex single-handedly. Previously, the Netherlands and Germany successfully assembled one of Ukraine's first Patriots in 2023, that time Germany was the one providing the core of the system.
All in all, as of now, Ukraine can expect the arrival of three more Patriots: one from Germany, a second from the U.S., and a third from the Netherlands with a yet-to-be-determined partner or partners with additional components. Also, one more SAMP/T system from Italy is on the way. This totals four air defense systems capable of shooting down ballistic targets, such as russian Iskander, S-300, or Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles.
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