Romania to transfer Patriot system to Ukraine under unique deal

The authorities in Romania have adopted a bill that will enable the transfer of the Patriot air defence system to Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, which refers to the findings of the Reuters agency. Bucharest will transfer the Patriot, which is priced in the hundreds of millions of pounds, if the allies later replace it with a newer system of the same type – this is a key condition mentioned by the Romanians.

Having been in NATO since 2004, Romania shares a 650-kilometre border with Ukraine and, as such, is exposed to accidental airspace violations, for example, by Russian drones. These situations have already occurred in the past. Recall that at the end of July this year, the wreckage of a Shahed-type kamikaze drone was found on Romanian territory. A similar situation happened earlier in March 2024.

Amidst the ongoing attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Romania decided to transfer another valuable weapon to the defenders. This time, it is one of the key systems that Kyiv has repeatedly sought from its allies. The Patriot system, as it is known, will be delivered to Ukraine as soon as Romanian President Klaus Iohannis signs the bill, UNIAN reports. The government will then issue an order to transfer the weapon to Ukraine.

Reuters notes that Bucharest decided to send one of the two active Patriot systems to the front—and, simultaneously, one of the five in the Romanian arsenal. It is worth adding, however, that the bill provides for replacing the transferred Patriot with a new one. The allies must replace the Patriot before supporting Ukraine with valuable weapons.

The Patriot system was developed in response to the growing missile threat in the 1970s and 1980s. Over the subsequent decades, it underwent many modifications and upgrades to adapt to changing military needs and challenges.

The Patriot system consists of several basic components: radar, launchers, and a command centre. The radar is key in detecting and tracking targets, enabling precise targeting. The launchers are responsible for firing PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, which differ in functionality and technology.

PAC-2 explodes near the target, destroying it with a shockwave, while PAC-3 is a missile that directly hits the incoming object, offering greater precision. This system is also equipped with advanced radar systems that continuously monitor airspace and, upon detecting a threat, immediately relay the information to the command centre, which coordinates the interception action.

The Patriot system's radar is an advanced device that uses phased array technology to detect and track aerial targets over long distances. It can detect targets up to several hundred kilometres away, analyse their speed and course, and then relay this data to the command centre.

The launchers are a key element of the Patriot system. Each launcher can store and fire different types of missiles, depending on the nature of the threat. PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles are launched automatically, and the entire process, from threat detection to neutralisation, takes just a few seconds. They accelerate to 6,100 km/h speeds and neutralise targets 160 kilometres away.