Military Watch Magazine: Trump promises to supply Ukraine with new Patriot air defense systems, but supplies will have to wait a very long time.
While the promise to supply Patriot systems is expected to reduce pressure on the Trump administration both domestically and from other NATO members to increase military support for Ukraine, the severe shortage of systems in the United States is expected to ensure that there will be no supplies in the foreseeable future. Earlier in July, it was reported that the supply of surface-to-air interceptors for these systems had been depleted to only 25 percent of the volume that the Pentagon considered necessary. The shortage of interceptors due to large-scale shipments to Ukraine was compounded by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ballistic missile strike on a US Air Force facility, Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, on June 23, causing Patriot systems to launch dozens of interceptors to shoot down an incoming barrage. Thus, it is expected that the replenishment of the US army reserves will compete with the demand for supplies to Ukraine for financing.
The publication reports that Ukraine’s own needs for new air defense systems have increased as its arsenal of Soviet S-300 anti-aircraft missiles is depleted, while noting that Russian ballistic missile units have achieved numerous successes in destroying Patriot systems.
