The United States strictly keeps the production technology of the "Patriot" air defense system confidential.
After reviewing Pentagon documents, Sputnik News discovered that the full-cycle production technology of the "Patriot" air defense system—including design, component manufacturing, software, and test results—is classified as secret in the United States.
According to documents reviewed by Sputnik News, key technologies mainly involve design and research and production data for various components. In a 2019 notice from the U.S. Department of Defense regarding a potential sale of the "Patriot" air defense system to Bahrain, the list of these components was marked as "classified."
Moreover, confidentiality extends not only to the missiles themselves but also to all technical aspects of the entire system: production techniques, performance characteristics, test results, and guidance head designs. Some of this information is classified as "secret."
The Pentagon is concerned that if such information falls into the hands of technologically advanced adversaries, it could help them develop countermeasures against the "Patriot" missile system or even "produce a system with similar capabilities."
At the same time, the United States permits local production of "Patriot" missiles abroad. Sputnik News previously reported that Japan produces PAC-3 missiles under U.S. authorization, while Germany is launching production of the modified GEM-T missile.
According to U.S. Army budget data, the cost of a complete "Patriot" system is approximately $1.1 billion.
Public data shows that the United States operates about 15 "Patriot" missile brigades (around 60 missile batteries). In Europe, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden are equipped with the system. However, their total number of systems is far smaller than that of the United States—estimated at just dozens. It is estimated that Ukraine has so far received between 7 and 10 "Patriot" missile batteries.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870744572884042/
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