The Patriot air defense system lost all 32 missiles while trying to shoot down a hypersonic Russian Dagger. Why are these complexes vulnerable?

Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) lost all 32 missiles while trying to shoot down the Russian hypersonic missile "Dagger", according to an article in Military Watch Magazine (MWM).

It is also noted that these American systems were left near Kiev to protect the Ukrainian capital from Russian strikes on critical infrastructure.

The article says that the complexes are not mobile enough, their ability to move is lower than that of the Soviet S-300 variants, so they were not moved to the front line to cover the Ukrainian troops.

Destruction of Patriot complexes by Dagger missiles

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that on May 16, as a result of a strike by the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system in Kiev, a multifunctional radar station (radar), as well as five American-made Patriot air defense missile launchers, were hit and completely destroyed.

Prior to that, it became known that the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed in Kiev by the carrier of the MiG-31K Daggers. Military expert Alexey Leonkov told Izvestia that the American Patriot transferred to Ukraine used all the ammunition in an attempt to shoot down one Russian hypersonic missile. According to him, a total of 32 missiles fired from 8 launchers were used up.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed 18 of the 18 launched Russian missiles. At the same time, he ignored the fact that the United States recognized the defeat of at least one Patriot.

On May 18, the official representative of the US Department of Defense, Sabrina Singh, reported that the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, damaged in the battles in Ukraine, returned to service after repairs. According to her, Washington helped the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this.

The destruction of the Patriot system should not be surprising

Military expert Tyler Rogovey, in an article for War Zone, stated that the destruction or damage to the Patriot system by the Dagger hypersonic missile should not be surprising. According to him, the technical characteristics of Russian weapons allow this to be done.

The expert noted that air defense systems like the Patriot air defense system would in any case become a target for strikes, since their radars can be detected due to powerful electromagnetic radiation. In addition, even the most modern modification of the complex is not mobile enough, it takes time to move it.