Patriot "outpowered" by Russian missiles, US weapons face big challenges in Ukraine

The US Patriot system, hailed as a symbol of modern defense capabilities, is showing many limitations against Russian attacks.

Patriot is considered Kiev’s most important “steel shield” in its efforts to protect Ukraine’s skies. In the context of cities and infrastructure constantly being hit by rockets, Patriot has become the “last shield” capable of confronting Russia’s high-speed ballistic weapons. This system is expected to be able to turn the tide in Ukraine’s skies.

According to The Washington Post, in many recent attacks, Patriot has been unable to intercept all Russian missiles. Some of the missiles have penetrated the air defense network, causing significant damage to civilian and energy areas. These incidents raise doubts about the actual effectiveness of Patriot in fierce combat conditions.

According to military experts, the key reason why Patriot is having trouble lies in Russia's constant upgrading of technology and adjustment of missile launch tactics. Moscow is said to have changed the flight trajectory, increased the final speed and deployed decoy measures using radar, making it difficult for the Patriot system to identify the real target to intercept in time.

According to military analysts, this is not just a technical issue but a technological “battle of wits”. Any air defense system has its limits and opponents are always looking for ways to overcome them. The competition between offensive and defensive missiles today is likened to a “never-ending battle” between swords and shields.

Ukraine currently has only a very small number of Patriot systems. This overloads the system, while Russian attacks often involve dozens of missiles and UAVs. When covered by a "firestorm", Patriots cannot fully protect all targets.

The Washington Post also said that a new Patriot system has been delivered to Kiev from Israel and several more are expected to be shipped from Europe this fall. However, experts warn that to form a strong enough “air defense dome”, Ukraine would need dozens of Patriot systems – which is almost impossible in the short term.

Each Patriot system requires hundreds of highly trained personnel, a complex logistics supply chain, and huge maintenance costs. Each interceptor missile can cost millions of dollars, while opponents spend only tens of thousands of dollars for a suicide UAV.

In response to criticism, the Pentagon insisted that the Patriot was still “working well” and playing an important role in protecting strategic targets. A US defense official said: “No system can protect everything. Patriot is designed to protect points, not entire territories.”

Many observers believe that Patriot is effective in limited tactical environments - such as protecting a base or a large city, but cannot cover a large battlefield like Ukraine. They emphasize the need to integrate other systems such as NASAMS, IRIS-T or SAMP/T to create a multi-layered defense network.

Recent attacks show that Russia is using a “missile storm” tactic to saturate Ukraine’s air defenses. When the Patriots run out of ammunition, the next missiles can easily penetrate. This forces Kiev to carefully calculate the distribution and coordination of existing air defense systems.

Experts say the battle between Patriot and Russian missiles reflects a turning point in modern warfare. Every time one side improves its system, the other responds with new technology. “It’s a never-ending game between missile makers and shield makers,” said a Western military analyst.

As winter approaches, when Russia typically increases its attacks on energy infrastructure, the Patriot’s capabilities will be further tested. Despite Western support, Ukraine faces a difficult problem: how to maintain an effective defense against increasingly sophisticated adversaries and limited air defense resources.

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