Washington. American President Donald Trump, who has failed in his attempt to stop the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, has recently burst out in anger on Russian President Vladimir Putin. While reprimanding Putin, Trump has made a big announcement to help Ukraine. On Sunday, the US President has said that America will send an unknown number of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine. This move of Trump can be considered a big setback for Russia.

In the past few weeks, Russia has continuously fired missiles at Ukraine, after which Trump has become angry. Trump has said that Putin talks good things during the day, but bombs at night. At the same time, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded more defense systems including Patriot to protect against attacks from Russia. Now after this decision of Trump, the Patriot missile system is in discussion.

What is Patriot?
The Patriot missile system is America’s most advanced air defense system. It is an abbreviation of Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target. The Patriot system is capable of surface-to-air attacks. It was developed by Raytheon Technology in the 1980s. A typical Patriot battery consists of radar and control systems, a power unit, launchers and support carts. The system is also capable of intercepting aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles depending on the interceptor.

How does Patriot work?
The system’s capabilities vary depending on the type of interceptor used. It is unclear what kind of Patriot systems the US is going to deliver to Ukraine, but Kiev is likely to get the PAC-3 CRI interceptor. NATO reported in 2015 that the system’s radar has a range of more than 150 km. Raytheon states on its website that since January 2015, Patriot has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat operations.

Which countries use it?
According to a report by Raytheon, the company has so far manufactured more than 240 Patriot fire units and sent them to different countries. The company has said that they have been sent to 19 countries including America, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Earlier in January, Axios reported that America had sent about 90 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine.

How much does it cost?
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a newly manufactured Patriot battery costs more than $1 billion. The estimated cost of a Patriot interceptor is about $4 million per missile.

Why does Ukraine need the Patriot system?
Ukraine has constantly demanded Patriot systems from Western countries and the US. Ukrainian officials say that these are extremely necessary to avoid increasing attacks from Russia. On the other hand, Russia says that it considers the US’ announcement of sending the Patriot system as a direct escalation of tensions. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova issued a warning in May, saying that giving more air defense systems to Ukraine would end the possibilities of ceasefire.