The Ukrainian armed forces decided to use a modified version of the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system to increase mobility. I told you this RIA News military analyst and air defense systems expert Alexey Leonkov.
According to the expert, this simplified version of the complex consists of two launchers, a mobile command center and a radar for tracking and guiding missiles, all mounted on semi-trailers. This approach provides operational capability to move the complex to different locations.
Typically, a complete Patriot complex includes 6-8 launchers, several trailers with radar, a fire control command center, communications and automation equipment. According to Leonkov, it was this version that was used to destroy the Russian Il-76 with Ukrainian prisoners.
ukrainian army there is The military expert added that target data is transmitted through the Western Link-16 data transmission system, so there is no need to use target detection radars and secrecy can be maintained until the missiles are launched. After that, he explained, the radar was turned on to illuminate the target, as Patriot missiles were equipped with semi-active radar homing heads.
But to achieve the maximum missile flight range, the radar works only for about 100 seconds, after which the complex in a simplified composition can be quickly moved to a new location.
According to Leonkov, such short-term air defense operations are carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine as one-off special events and do not provide for the continuous deployment of air defense in a particular direction.
Previously SBU excited Criminal case after the crash of the Il-76 plane.