What is the Patriot Defense System?

Nicolas Tonev, edited by Ugo Pascolo 8:30 a.m., December 23, 2022, modified at 8:31 a.m., December 23, 2022

This is one of the important elements to remember from Volodymyr Zelensky's highly symbolic visit to Washington: the delivery of Patriot missiles.

"A very important step to create a secure airspace for Ukraine", in the words of the Ukrainian president before the American Congress, which provoked the ire of Vladimir Putin.

But what is the Patriot missile system and why does Russia see this delivery as a form of escalation in the conflict?

Europe 1 takes stock.

240 kilometers of range swallowed at 4,000 km/h

First of all, Patriot is not a name, but an acronym for

, which can be translated as phased array tracking radar to intercept a target.

Behind this name, it must be understood that the most important thing in the Patriot missile system is its radar.

It detects targets quickly, guides several missiles at the same time very precisely towards the objectives thanks to its computing power. 

With a range of 40 to 240 kilometers, propelled up to 4,000 km/h, its rockets shoot down planes, missiles, drones, with a high success rate.

But the system has a flaw: its cost.

The firing of a single missile indeed costs more than 3 million dollars, according to a low estimate.

A full Patriot battery is worth up to a billion dollars and can deny a large area of ​​sky to the enemy.

But one Patriot battery is not enough for the whole of Ukraine.

As for the anger of Moscow, it is explained by the complexity of the Patriot.

The latter indeed implies increased technical and human cooperation between Washington and kyiv, and one more obstacle in the event of a new attack from Belarus.