Considering the upcoming winter and Russia’s consistent missile terror, it is currently essential to equip Ukraine with additional modern air defence equipment.
While Germany, in cooperation with Norway, already delivered another IRIS-T SLM fire unit and two additional IRIS-T SLS launchers in the first week of October, more positive news broke today.
The Special Training Command, together with the German Luftwaffe, announced on their X accounts that Ukrainian soldiers had completed the fourth training course conducted by the German Luftwaffe on the Patriot air defence system.
The start of the fourth training was made public already at the end of August, so its completion came as no big surprise. I already mentioned back then that it should most likely be completed in November.
A spokesperson for the German Luftwaffe told me shortly after the start of training that the trained personnel could be deployed on a rotating basis as alternating crews or in shifts.
This means that the soldiers who have now been trained will be a great help to the Patriot fire units already supplied by Germany and other countries, as well as the one still to be supplied by the US.
The Ukrainian Air Force is currently operating a total of five fire units, three of which were supplied by Germany, one by the US and another one by Romania — with major financial assistance from the US and Norway.
In addition, further equipment such as two additional radar units from Germany and the Netherlands, as well as seven launchers — two from Germany, five from the Netherlands were also delivered.
Ukrainian officials already pointed out in April that Ukraine needs at least seven fire units to cover the AFU’s minimum needs to protect the country.
The US-made MIM-104 Patriot air defence system is the only modern long-range air defence system in Ukraine apart from SAMP/T, which is indispensable for intercepting ballistic missiles.
Despite numerous efforts from Germany with the Immediate Action on Air Defence initiative and from the Netherlands with the attempt to assemble a fire unit using equipment from various countries, major results failed to materialise.
The Dutch project even had to be cancelled because not a single country wanted to part with even individual Patriot components.
Nevertheless, thanks in particular to the German deliveries from Bundeswehr stocks, a total of six fire units have been delivered or pledged, meaning that only one is needed to cover the minimum needs of the AFU.
And maybe, just maybe, we can hopefully close this chapter soon with another delivery next year.
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