The image of a part of a Patriot surface-to-air missile falling on a busy traffic road in Kiev makes anyone who sees it terrified. It also rekindled concerns about the missile's failure to save civilian lives during the First Gulf War.
Western military analysts say this may be the result of PAC-3, hybrid missiles equipped with "enhanced lethality", being used in Ukraine.
Video recording part of a Patriot missile falling on the streets of Kiev (Source: Twitter worldnews24u):
The Patriot system is often described as a mere "hit-to-kill" weapon. However, an upgraded version of this complex (PAC) was developed with an explosive charge capable of creating a cloud of metal fragments around the rocket body, called "cycloids".
This cloud is intended to improve the chances of hitting a jet-powered target such as a cruise missile. In other words, the metal shards increase the interceptor's damage by extending the range of contact with the target.
A 1996 public report by Army and Lockheed Martin on an affordable approach to integrating PAC-3 missiles revealed that the weapon had improved range, accuracy, and lethality. necessary for effective defense against tactical missiles carrying nuclear, conventional, biological and chemical explosives.
"The damage booster is activated near the intercept point to further increase the probability of a target kill with a single shot against jet-powered threats," report quote.
The threats mentioned here are cruise missiles or aircraft flying at lower speeds than ballistic missiles. Pure hit-to-kill mode is effective against ballistic threats, but may not be as effective against smaller cruise missiles. That's where the "damage booster" comes into play.
This additional device is present on all PAC-3 missile complexes since its introduction in the US military in 1995. “To increase the probability of destroying jet threats (not used) used against tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), the low-speed fragmentation booster (LE) is incorporated into the PAC-3 missile configuration".
Next, the US also made further improvements with these interceptors to reduce the cost per shot. The Patriot variant of the cost-effective program was first tested in 2017.
Threat to civilian life
The LE explosion was powerful enough to create a clear separation between the head and tail of the PAC-3 rocket. It is difficult to predict where the fragment will fall. This may be the reason behind the largely unharmed tail that fell onto the streets of Kiev.
Missile debris falling from the sky also raises questions about the success rate of Patriot missiles, like in the first Gulf War. Since then, many changes have been made to the advanced upgraded Patriot complexes PAC-1 and PAC-2.
Both systems use explosive technology close to the incoming target and destroy through fragmentation explosions or damage boosters.
Back at the time of the first Gulf War, advanced Patriot systems (PAC-2) deployed in Saudi Arabia claimed to have successfully intercepted seven missiles fired into the country's territory from the south. Houthi forces, but one man died after being hit by rocket shrapnel.
Ground-based video shows the PAC-2 missile moving off course in the air, and it is impossible to determine if it was debris from a successful intercept or a technical malfunction.
Although military experts have expressed doubts about the "exaggerated" claims about the Patriot's interception success rate, the advantages that this surface-to-air missile defense complex brings to Ukraine in the face of confrontation. Russia's missile strikes are undeniable.
(According to EurAsian Times)
