The Procurement Office of the Bundeswehr was able to take delivery of the first components of the newly ordered Patriot air defense missile systems from Raytheon in Andover (USA) a few days ago. As a first step, the company has delivered two command posts for integrating the new systems into the existing Patriot fleet.
The delivery of the remaining weapon systems will follow at a later date, so that the Air Force will have additional fire units at its disposal in the coming years.
The Patriot systems are financed proportionally from the special Bundeswehr assets, the regular defense budget and from the so-called Section 60. This section of the budget is used to finance the replacement purchases for deliveries to Ukraine.
The Bundeswehr has already delivered several Patriot systems from its inventory to Ukraine so that the country can defend itself against Russian aggression (-> Latest news from the war in Ukraine), in particular to protect the Ukrainian population and critical infrastructure from Russian air strikes. The ordered Patriot systems will replace the levies and supplement the existing German air defense systems.
Bundesheer steigert Leistungsfähigkeit seiner Jagdkommando-Soldaten
The Patriot air defense missile system (“Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target”) is used to combat drones and aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. A complete system, also known as a fire unit, consists of several individual mobile components: a command post, a multifunctional radar unit, the launchers with guided missiles, an antenna mast system and power supply units.
The fire control station monitors and controls the radar unit and the launchers. Targets are transmitted by the radar unit, analyzed by the computer and displayed to the soldiers. They receive a threat analysis, verify the computer suggestion and initiate engagement. The antenna is a phase-controlled antenna that works with beam steering. This electronic swivel of the antenna is more flexible than a mechanical one. This means that the airspace covered by the radar can be scanned for flying objects and prioritized as required. The defensive missiles are launched from the mobile launch station, the so-called launcher.
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