File image.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) will retire its American-made MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems within two months, according to an article published on April 30 on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) website.
“We are currently in the process of reducing the [number of] batteries until the entire system is closed,” said the head of the Aerial Defense Array’s 138th Battalion, which operates the Patriot.
The number of Patriot batteries in service with the IAF is unknown. The IDF designation for the Patriot weapon system is “Yahalom” [diamond in Hebrew]. Israeli PAC 2 systems have been upgraded to the GEM+ standard which has better performance against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or warplanes in complement to the PAC-3.
The Patriots will be replaced with “more advanced” air defense systems, the IAF said, without providing any further information.
“We realized that we need to move forward and improve our defense methods. The innovations in the [air defense] array bring a better operational and maintenance response,” the battalion commander said.
American-operated Patriot missile batteries were first deployed against Scud ballistic missiles fired from Iraq at Israel during the 1991 Gulf War. The system officially entered service with the IAF that same year, but only made its first interception in 2014, intercepting a Hamas drone launched from the Gaza Strip.
Over the following decade, the system intercepted only some ten targets, according to the IDF, including two fighter jets of the Syrian Arab Air Force that approached the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in 2014 and 2018.
The IDF didn’t say what will happen to the retired system, but the Kiev regime has for months now been asking for more Patriots to bolster Ukrainian air defenses in the face of increasing Russian drone and missile attacks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to cover the country, but Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is for now focused on securing just seven batteries to protect Ukraine’s largest cities.
Last year, Ukraine received two Patriot batteries and two launchers from Germany and another battery from the United States with two additional launchers donated by the Netherlands. Most of these systems have already been damaged or destroyed by the Russian military.
Germany said on April 13 that it would provide Ukraine with one more Patriot system. However, Greece refused requests to supply any of its systems. Spain also refused, but said that it would supply additional missiles to Kiev forces.
Israel will not likely supply its retired systems to Ukraine directly. Nevertheless, it could do this indirectly by first selling the systems to the U.S., which recently approved a $61 billion military aid package to Ukraine, or any other ally of the Kiev regime who is willing to pay for them.
Still, such a move would be extremely dangerous for Israel as Russia will likely respond by bolstering the air defenses of the country’s main foes in the Middle East, Iran and Syria.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
