Explained: Know about HIMARS, PATRIOT air defence system that US may deliver to Ukraine

A day after the US Senate overwhelmingly approved nearly $40 billion in new aid for Ukraine, it is expected that the Biden administration will also deliver the HIMARS missile system and Patriot air defence system to the war-ravaged country. Though the significant amount will be spent on helping Ukrainian refugees in the US, seizing Russian oligarchs’ assets, reopening the US embassy in Kyiv and prosecuting Russian war crimes, there are reports that the US is planning to "gift" the most advanced weapons to deter the aggression of the Russian forces. 

What is the HIMARS missile system?

According to Lockheed Martin Corporation, an American organisation that manufactures advanced weapons for the US army, HIMARS--High Mobility Artillery Rocket System-- is a full-spectrum, all-weather, 24/7, lethal and responsive, wheeled precision strike weapons system. It is designed to destroy enemy targets as far away as 300 kilometres. It employs a shoot-and-scoot capability which enhances crew and platform survivability in high threat environments. HIMARS carries a single six-pack of GMLRS rockets or one TACMS missile on the Army's Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) 5-ton truck and can launch the entire MLRS family of munitions. The company claims that with a recognised and proven range of 300 km, HIMARS delivers affordable, quick, long-range precision strikes.

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What is a PATRIOT? 

According to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Phased-Array Tracking Radar to Intercept On Target (PATRIOT) weapons system combats enemy air threats varying from aircraft and helicopters to mid-range ballistic missiles such as SCUD missiles. A PATRIOT battery primarily consists of an Engagement Control Station (ECS, fire control centre), a radar and six launching stations. The launching stations are loaded with a combination of PATRIOT missiles, depending on the threat. The PAC-3 missile is the most advanced missile and has 'Hit-to-Kill' capability.

This missile has an extensive range, permitting intercepts of ballistic missiles more effectively and at greater altitudes. The horizontal range can be significantly increased by positioning the launching stations further away from the radar. The PATRIOT radar is a fixed radar that employs an electronically controlled radar beam for the detection, classification and identification of targets as well as for guidance of the system's own missiles. A PATRIOT battery is capable of tracking a large number of targets simultaneously and carrying out several interceptions at once.

Russia-Ukraine war

Notably, the Biden administration has been providing military aid to the Ukrainian army ever since Russia attacked its neighbouring territory. Since the start of the "special military operation", US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the administration has provided military aid worth $3.9 billion to Ukraine. Earlier last month, in a bid to support Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, the Biden administration sent at least 100 switchblade drones to the Ukrainian military. 

It is pertinent to mention that Russia initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine nearly two days after Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, on February 24. Since then, it has been bombarding several cities in Ukraine, resulting in the killing of thousands of civilians and the loss of infrastructure. Despite repetitive warnings from the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during an interview with Russian media, said, "Russia is not in the mood to wrap up the ongoing "military operations" without achieving the goal. 

Image: Lockheed Martin/AP