As per the media reports, the US is planning to send Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been requesting further air defence support for some time, as Russian attacks have continued to kill civilians and cause major blackouts.
About Patriot missile
- Patriot has been described as the most advanced air defence system the US possesses. Each missile costs about $3m.
- The Patriot is a surface-to-air guided missile system that was first deployed in the 1980s and can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles.
- Each Patriot battery consists of a truck-mounted launching system with eight launchers that can hold up to four missile interceptors each, a ground radar, a control station and a generator.
- It currently has 16 Patriot battalions.
- The U.S. batteries are regularly deployed around the world.
- In addition, Patriots also are operated or being purchased by the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Taiwan, Greece, Spain, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Romania, Sweden, Poland and Bahrain.
