The administration of United States President Joseph Biden is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. This was reported by CNN, citing two U.S. officials and a senior administration official.
It is noted that the Pentagon plan must also be approved by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin before it is sent for signature to Biden. Three officials told CNN that approval is expected.
“It would be the most effective long-range defensive weapons system sent to the country and officials say it will help secure airspace for NATO nations in eastern Europe,” CNN said.
However, it is not known how many rocket launchers will be sent, but a typical Patriot battery is reported to contain radar that detects and accompanies targets, computers, power equipment, a combat control station, and up to eight launchers, each containing four ready-to-fire missiles.
According to officials, Ukrainians will be trained to use them at the U.S. Army base in Grafenwehr (Germany).
"When there is a war, there is always not enough weapons. We need even more of it, especially air defense systems. We have been discussing the transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine for a long time with our partners, because this system is expensive and developed with a high degree of complexity. I believe that Patriot may appear on our battlefield, but at the next stage," said the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov in a comment to CNN.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, U.S. Defense Ministry spokesman Patrick S. Ryder said that the Pentagon does not currently plan to supply Patriot systems from the United States to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Germany refused to provide Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. They will be placed in Poland.
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