Patriot and the “distant arm” of combat aviation are necessary to strengthen the anti-missile defense and air defense of Ukraine – the opinion of an expert

With the appearance of Patriot complexes in Ukraine, the formation of an effective anti-missile defense (ABM) began. Unfortunately, the price of these complexes is such that no country can afford to use them alone. Ukraine, with the help of its allies, needs to build up all its air defense capabilities. This opinion was expressed by the founder of the “Close the Sky of Ukraine” Charitable Foundation, retired Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko today, June 4, on the live broadcast of the FREEDOM TV channel.

He emphasized that the Patriot’s range makes these batteries very effective for the tasks facing Ukraine.

“These batteries not only have anti-missile properties. They have a greater range compared to what we have – the old Soviet anti-aircraft missile systems – the range of hitting a target at medium and high altitudes, for example. This is also important in order to destroy the enemy’s targets from the same ambushes that our anti-aircraft gunners effectively use,” comments the guest of the broadcast.

At the same time, Romanenko notes that the Patriot battery of the latest modification costs from 1 billion dollars. and more, the missiles for them are also very expensive.

“With the presence of only such batteries, such anti-aircraft missile systems, no country can afford much, including economically powerful countries,” he noted.

According to the founder of the “Close the Sky of Ukraine” Charitable Foundation, Ukraine should increase all capabilities, including Patriot and aircraft.

“In the anti-missile defense system, complexes of various types are needed: short-range, low-altitude, medium-range, capable of destroying aerodynamic targets, which include airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is important to spend cheap shells and missiles on them… It is also important to have a “far hand”. Along with these complexes, of which we still have batteries, it is necessary to have “distant hands”, which are fighter aircraft in the anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system. First of all, cruise missiles can be destroyed by aircraft of generation 4+, which includes the F-16 and other options, which, as they say, are being considered recently,” Ihor Romanenko commented.