MOSCOW, Dec 14 Delivery of American anti-aircraft missile systems to the Kyiv regime (ZRK) Patriot, if it happens, it will be a fundamental step towards escalation by the United States — the Russian military command should already calculate the response plan now, Igor Korotchenko, director of the Center for Analysis of the World Arms Trade (TsAMTO), said on Wednesday.
«This will be a fundamental step towards escalation on the part of Washington, aimed at not only prolonging the existence of the regime of Vladimir Zelensky, but also significantly complicating Russian air strikes against key objects of the military and state administration system, as well as the energy system of Ukraine,» he said. Korotchenko.
Earlier, CNN, citing sources, said that this week the United States may announce the transfer of the Patriot air defense system to Kyiv. In turn, former US Army General Mark Hertling said that Ukrainian troops will not be able to use the Patriot immediately after receiving it, this will take time to prepare the Ukrainian calculations of the complex if this preparation was not carried out secretly in advance.
br>»The Russian military command needs to develop an appropriate plan of action right now if such deliveries become a reality, and do everything to prevent the creation of an integrated air defense system in Ukraine,» Korotchenko stressed.
Earlier in December, he also announced that Kyiv's Western allies were striving to create a unified integrated air defense system (air defense) of Ukraine — then it became known that the Pentagon ordered the supply of new NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems for Kyiv from Raytheon.
According to the expert, the distribution of the roles of Ukraine's allies is also taking place for this task: some countries contribute by supplying radars, others by supplying the corresponding anti-aircraft missile systems, and still others by supplying automated combat control systems.
The Patriot anti-aircraft missile system is one of the key elements of the integrated air and missile defense of the American army, along with other systems of greater and lesser range. There are various options for complexes with a range of 30 to 160 kilometers, as well as modifications specifically designed to intercept ballistic missiles. Patriot systems are in service with a number of NATO countries and US allies in the Middle East.
If Patriot is integrated through NATO command lines with other Western-made air defense systems delivered to Kyiv, in particular, NASAMS and IRIS-T, scattered local centers of Ukrainian air defense will be combined into a single information space with enhanced capabilities for timely identification and distribution of air targets between various complexes. According to the plan of Kyiv and allies, this will reduce the effectiveness of massive Russian missile strikes.