*** Welcome to piglix ***

Patriot missile system

MIM-104 Patriot
Patriot System 2.jpg
A Patriot system of the German Air Force in August 2005.
Type Mobile long-range surface-to-air missile with anti-ballistic missile capability
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service Since 1981; initial operational capacity 1984.
Used by See operators
Wars Gulf War
Iraqi War
2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
Syrian Civil War
Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present)
Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir
Production history
Designer Raytheon, Hughes, and RCA
Designed 1969
Unit cost About US$2–3 million
Produced 1976
No. built
  • 1,106 launchers in U.S. service
  • Over 172 launchers exported
  • Over 10,000 missiles manufactured
Variants See variants
Patriot missile
Patriot missile launch b.jpg
Four Patriot missiles can be fired from the highly mobile TEL
Type Surface-to-air missile
Place of origin United States
Production history
Designer Raytheon
Unit cost US$1 to 6 million
No. built over 8,600
Variants Standard, ASOJ/SOJC, PAC-2, PAC-2 GEM, GEM/C, GEM/T (or GEM+) and PAC-3
Specifications (PAC-1)
Weight 700 kg (1,500 lb)
Length 5,800 mm (19 ft 0 in)
Diameter 410 mm (16 in)
Warhead M248 Composition B HE blast/fragmentation with two layers of pre-formed fragments and Octol 75/25 HE blast/fragmentation
Warhead weight 200 lb (90 kg)
Detonation
mechanism
Proximity fuze

Wingspan 920 mm (3 ft 0 in)
Propellant Solid-fuel rocket
Operational
range
PAC-1: 70 km
PAC-2: 96 km-160 km
PAC-3: 20 km against ballistic missile
PAC-3 MSE: 35 km against ballistic missile
Flight altitude 79,500 feet (24,200 m)
Speed PAC-1: Mach 2.8
PAC-2/PAC-3: Mach 4.1
Guidance
system
PAC-1: Radio command with Track Via Missile semi-active homing, PAC-3: Ka Band AESA seeker
Launch
platform
Mobile trainable four-round semi-trailer

The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. 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" which is a backronym for PATRIOT. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium Air Defense (HIMAD) system, and replaced the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army's medium tactical air defense system. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given the function of the U.S. Army's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system, which is now Patriot's primary mission. The system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.

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.

Patriot systems have been sold to Republic of China (Taiwan), Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Spain. Poland hosts training rotations of a battery of U.S. Patriot launchers. This started in the town of Morąg in May 2010 but was later moved further from the Russian border to Toruń and Ustka due to Russian objections.South Korea also purchased several second-hand Patriot systems from Germany after North Korea test-launched ballistic missiles to the Sea of Japan and proceeded with underground nuclear testing in 2006. On December 4, 2012, NATO authorized the deployment of Patriot missile launchers in Turkey to protect the country from missiles fired in the civil war in neighboring Syria.


...
Wikipedia

...