Patriot missile delay: Swiss defense capability at risk amid Ukraine crisis

The Swiss are awaiting missile deliveries for the Patriot system—they ordered them last year. However, the problem is that the USA's priority is now Ukraine, which has resulted in the suspension of ammunition deliveries to Switzerland, reports the Swiss daily Blick.

The Russian Federation has been intensifying shelling towards Ukraine for months. At the same time, there is a constant shortage of missiles in the defenders' arsenal, including ammunition for one of the most valuable systems on the front – Patriots.

The USA, for whom support with PAC-3 missiles for Patriots is currently a priority, understands Ukraine's problems well. The war in Ukraine has become the reason why the Swiss are facing a "defense capability failure," it reads. The United States has halted the delivery of the ammunition mentioned to Switzerland for Ukraine—to deliver as many weapons to Kyiv in the shortest period possible.

Blick reminds us that the Swiss ordered PAC-3 missiles worth 300 million Swiss francs (approximately £270 million) in 2023, but despite the agreements signed with the USA, they'll have to wait longer for the delivery. It's unclear how much longer the delivery process for Patriot missiles will be extended, but it is already considered a "blow to defense capabilities" by the local authorities.

In light of the issues related to the availability of PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems and their delivery delays, it's worth noting that not long ago, the Swiss blocked the re-export of nearly 100 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine. The authorities in Bern imposed restrictions on 96 inactive Leopard units, which meant that the machines – despite their planned transfer to Berlin – could not end up in Ukraine.

The solution to this problem was to get Switzerland's consent to station the Leopards in another NATO or EU member state other than Germany. This, however, meant having to send other tanks from Germany's arsenal to Ukraine and then replacing them with Leopards.

The Patriot air defense system is a weapon with a history dating back to the 1960s. At that time, the USA decided to replace the aging MIM-23 Hawk system, leading to the development of newer air threat combat technology. The result appeared shortly afterward, in the 1980s, with the first Patriot model emerging.

The American tool was created with the intention of eliminating every threat remaining in the air. Patriot is effective in combating helicopters, airplanes, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. This is thanks to advanced missiles that, upon leaving the Patriot launcher, can reach an altitude of 24 kilometers and engage targets within 160 kilometers of the launch site. The missile accelerates to a speed of over 6,100 kilometers per hour.

Also significant is the AN/MPQ-53 radar, which is part of the Patriot complex. This device can track up to 125 objects within 100 kilometers of the radar while simultaneously guiding missiles to nine objects.