US Marine Corps veteran Mark Kanchian weighs in on the fragility of American Patriot anti-aircraft defenses when faced with Russian weaponry. He argues that the sky-high price of both the Patriot system and its missiles makes sustained use in any conflict prohibitively expensive, potentially draining resources quickly in a protracted confrontation.
According to his assessment, a single Patriot installation carries a multi-million dollar price tag, with a single intercept missile costing several million dollars. He notes that sending these systems to Ukraine does not automatically erase the advantage held by Russian drones operating in contested zones, where mobility and cost efficiency can tilt the balance of air superiority over time.
Kanchian also highlights operational challenges for Ukrainian forces using Patriot batteries. He suggests that keeping a battery fully functional may require as many as ninety highly skilled personnel, a level of staffing that the United States has not deployed to Ukraine for this mission. This gap could create vulnerabilities in day-to-day readiness and mission continuity in forward areas.
To maintain effective Patriot coverage, the deployment would require integrating personnel from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and providing extensive, perhaps lengthy, training on the system’s complex procedures. The precise duration and depth of this training remain uncertain, but the US military indicates that mastering the guidance, maintenance, and tactical employment of Patriots is a demanding process that cannot be rushed without risking reliability in the field.
In related developments, Maria Zakharova, formerly the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proposes a reciprocal exchange: Greece would transfer S-300PMU-1 air-defense missiles to Ukraine if Washington agrees to supply Patriot systems to Athens. This exchange underscores the broader strategic dynamics at play, where alliances and equipment parity influence how air defense capabilities are distributed across different theaters of operation — a factor that complicates the security calculus for frontline states facing intensified aerial threats — Source: US military and publicly available policy discussions.