According to Ignat, these complexes in certain directions could help drive Russian aviation away from Ukrainian borders.

Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, which the US will provide to Ukraine as part of a new $1.85 billion aid package, can help “significantly strengthen” Ukraine’s air defense, as well as create an echeloned air defense system.

As Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in an interview with Radio Liberty, these complexes are “a very necessary thing for Ukraine.” He added that the Patriot has long been a preferred weapon in the Air Force’s future development strategy.

“Patriot is a long-range weapon that can hit its aeroballistic targets at a distance of up to 150 kilometers. These complexes in certain directions could help drive Russian aviation away from our borders, namely bombers such as TU-22M3 or tactical aviation crews, – noted Ignat.

According to the representative of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ukrainian defenders will be able to master the new Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems quite easily.

“Western-style complexes are quite modern, a lot of them are automated, a lot of the human factor has been rejected. Therefore, it is not a big problem to relearn these complexes. Although it takes a certain amount of time,” he explained.

At the same time, Ignat noted that Ukraine has great needs for a wide variety of air defense equipment. Because of this, our country is ready to take from Western partners a lot that they can offer us.

“Today, the Air Force uses existing air defense equipment, aviation, and mobile groups to cover threatening directions, individual strategic objects of critical infrastructure. However, this is not enough to cover all needs,” added the representative of the Air Force.

Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems for Ukraine

Ukraine will receive an advanced anti-aircraft weapon that the United States has, a battery of the Patriot missile complex, which can have up to eight launchers. Each installation can carry from four to 16 missiles.

Western experts say that the Patriot systems will become “an important asset for the defense of the people of Ukraine against the barbaric Russian attack on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.”

Military expert Oleg Zhdanov noted that it takes about six months to learn to operate such equipment, but the Armed Forces will master the system faster.