December18, 2006:
The U.S. Army wants to form more Patriot SAM (Surface to Air) missile
battalions. Each battalion has a phased array radar, and four to eight
launchers (each carrying four missiles.) There are currently eleven Patriot
battalions, with two more in the process of formation.
The
Patriot has been in great demand by army commanders. But not so much for
protection from enemy aircraft, but because the Patriot has become a credible
anti-missile system. The Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile missiles cost $3.2 million
each and are the result of two decades of development. First used during the
1991 Gulf War, the current (PAC-3) version shot down two Iraqi missiles in
2003.
During
the 2003 operation, 22 Patriot missiles were fired. Two of these took down two
coalition aircraft. Electronic and software problems caused the IFF (Identify
Friend or Foe) systems to fail. This is less of a problem with incoming
missiles, as they are rarely friendly. The PAC-3 missile is designed to take
down shorter range missiles like the SCUD, and similar missiles used by China,
North Korea and Iran.
It's
uncertain if the Patriot electronics and software have been tweaked to the
point where they can shoot down longer range missiles like the ones North
Korea, or China, might fire at places like Okinawa. As a general rule, the
longer the range of a ballistic missile, the faster it goes when moving
downward towards its target. Longer range missiles approach the ground at over
two kilometers per second. The Patriot missiles can reach up about 20
kilometers. This means the Patriot missile has to be fired quickly, and
accurately, because it has only seconds to knock down the target. When
defending against missiles, the Patriot system is put on automatic. If
something resembling a ballistic missile comes within range, a PAC-3 is
automatically fired on an intercept course. Often two are launched, to insure a
hit. Development of the Patriot continues, mainly in the area of decreasing
response time, and rigging the Patriot system to work with other radar systems
(like space based early warning networks that can spot longer range missiles
long before the Patriot radar can.)
The
U.S. already has PAC-3 equipped Patriot batteries in South Korea, Japan and
Iraq.