| MIM-104 Patriot | |
|---|---|
 A Patriot system in Turkey | |
| Type | Mobile surface-to-air missile/anti-ballistic missile system |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Since 1981; initial operational capacity 1984[1] |
| Used by | See operators |
| Wars | Gulf War Iraq War 2014 Gaza War Syrian Civil War Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Saudi Arabian–Yemeni border conflict (2015–present) Russo-Ukrainian war Israel–Hamas war |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Raytheon, Hughes, and RCA |
| Designed | 1969 |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing |
| Unit cost | Domestic cost: About US$1.09 billion (FY 2022) for a battery;[2] US$4 million for a single PAC-3 MSE missile[3] Export cost: About US$2.37–2.5 billion for a battery; US$6–10 million (FY 2018) for a single missile[4] |
| Produced | 1976–present |
| No. built |
|
| Variants | See § Variants |
| Specifications | |
Operational range | 160 km (99 mi) (max) |
| Maximum speed |
|
The MIM-104 Patriot is a mobile interceptor missile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target,"[6] which is a backronym for "Patriot". In 1984, the Patriot system began to replace the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary high to medium air defense (HIMAD) system and the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army's medium tactical air defense system.[7] In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given a function in the U.S. Army's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system. As of 2016[update], the system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.[8]
Patriot uses an advanced aerial interceptor missile and high-performance radar systems. Patriot was developed at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, which had previously developed the Safeguard ABM system and its component Spartan and hypersonic speed Sprint missiles. The symbol for Patriot is a drawing of a Revolutionary War–era minuteman.
The MIM-104 Patriot has been widely exported. Patriot was one of the first tactical systems in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to employ lethal autonomy in combat.[9] The system was successfully used against Iraqi missiles in the 2003 Iraq War, and has also been used by Saudi and Emirati forces in the Yemen conflict against Houthi missile attacks. The Patriot system achieved its first undisputed shootdowns of enemy aircraft in the service of the Israeli Air Defense Command. Israeli MIM-104D batteries shot down two Hamas UAVs during Operation Protective Edge in August 2014, and in September 2014, an Israeli Patriot battery shot down a Syrian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 which had penetrated the airspace of the Golan Heights, achieving the system's first known shootdown of a crewed enemy aircraft.[10]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
M104was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cancian, Mark F.; Karako, Tom (June 5, 2023). "Patriot to Ukraine: What Does It Mean?". CSIS.
- ^ "What the Patriot missile can do for Ukraine". CBS News. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "A Look at Turkey's PAC-3+ IAMDS Procurement Activities". Defenceturkey.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Judson, Jen (April 9, 2024). "How Patriot proved itself in Ukraine and secured a fresh future". Defense News. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "US sends 400 troops with Patriot missile batteries to Turkish frontier". Daily Telegraph. December 14, 2012.
- ^ "Patriot missile ready for field". United Press International. November 13, 1984.
The first deployment to Western Europe of the Army's new Patriot anti-aircraft missile will begin later this month, six months later than scheduled because of testing problems, the Army said Tuesday. The non-nuclear missile system, which can track up to 50 targets at a time and guide five missiles, is intended to improve the air defenses of the NATO alliance and will replace the old Nike Hercules system and several battalions of Hawk missiles, an Army announcement said.
- ^ "Raytheon Unveils New Patriot Radar at AUSA Global 16". Army Times. March 15, 2016. [dead link]
- ^ Hawley, John K. (February 8, 2017). "Patriot Wars: Automation and the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System". Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ynetnews.comwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).