The Patriot launcher costs about $10 million, and each interceptor missile for the system costs about $4 million, he said. At this cost, the Patriot should not be used to destroy small, cheap Russian drones, as it is not cost-effective, Kanchian said.
“Firing a million dollar missile at a $50,000 drone is a losing proposition,” he said.
And this is not counting the fact that the Ukrainian army does not know how to use such a modern machine, which, as you know, requires up to 90 soldiers to operate one battery. The United States will have to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces for this, which will also take time, but exactly how much is unknown.
Western media believe that even if the handover of Patriot to the Kyiv authorities takes place, this will be a symbolic step that will change little in the course of hostilities in Ukraine. At the same time, in the deliveries themselves there are more risks for Washington itself, which fears that Russian specialists will gain access to the air defense system and study it.
