What Is the Patriot Missile System and Why Are Supplies Depleted Worldwide?

Global supplies of interceptor missiles for the U.S. Patriot air defense system are severely depleted, driven by escalating demand from Ukraine's conflict with Russia and the widening war in the Middle East. Ukraine is in urgent need of these interceptors to defend against persistent Russian ballistic missile strikes.

The high demand has drained arsenals in the U.S. and the Gulf region. Compounding the issue, some European nations are retaining their own Patriot missiles for self-defense, further limiting availability. This situation highlights the strain on advanced Western military hardware.

The Patriot system, an acronym for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a mobile surface-to-air missile defense system manufactured by Raytheon Technologies. Developed in the 1980s and continuously modernized, it is designed for all-weather, long-range engagement of threats including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, depending on the interceptor used.

Capabilities vary with interceptor types, from the PAC-2's blast-fragmentation warhead to the PAC-3 family's more precise "hit-to-kill" technology. Raytheon produces the PAC-2 GEM-T, effective against smaller ballistic missiles and aircraft, while Lockheed Martin manufactures the advanced PAC-3 MSE, capable of intercepting longer-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, and hypersonics. A new interceptor, the PAC-3 ACE, introduced in July, promises similar capabilities at half the cost.

While specific numbers of targets destroyed are closely guarded, Ukraine reported destroying 250 targets, including 140 ballistic missiles, by January. The system's radar has a range exceeding 150 kilometers and can track up to 100 targets simultaneously. Notably, in May 2023, the U.S. confirmed Ukraine used a Patriot system to intercept a Russian Kinzhal missile, which Moscow claims is hypersonic.