Armed Forces Of Ukraine Have Changed Their Tactics For Using Patriot — Ihnat

Ukraine's military has adapted its tactics for using Patriot missiles, according to Head of the Air Force Command Communications Department, Yurii Ihnat. This adaptation has come about through combat experience, allowing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to utilize the American systems more cost-effectively and in diverse tactical situations.

Ihnat explained that Ukrainian forces have learned to employ Patriot missiles not only from stationary positions, as the Americans typically do, but also for ambushes, with the system being relocated afterward. This provides a "roaming" system capability - set up in an ambush, shoot down five aircraft, and withdraw undamaged.

A significant difference in tactics is the way Ukrainian crews use the missile. In the Middle East, up to eight interceptors were sometimes launched simultaneously at a single target, whereas Ukrainian crews have learned to use one missile against one target. This contrasts with the automatic mode of operation in the Middle East, where the system could fire a large number of interceptors at once without the benefit of combat experience.

This more measured approach to missile use could have provided Ukraine with several more years of operational capability for these systems. The extensive use of Patriot missiles in the Middle East is one reason why Ukraine is now in its current crisis situation, Ihnat concluded. The Ukrainian government has reported progress in securing more missiles for Patriot systems, but the process is moving slowly, according to Zelenskyy.