Reference News Network, July 7 report - According to the Wall Street Journal website on July 3, the Trump administration has suspended the provision of key "Patriot" interception missiles and other weapons to Ukraine, which constitutes a major blow to Ukraine's ability to resist Russia's increasingly frequent and deadly air attacks.

Before the Trump administration made this decision, Ukraine was already struggling to cope with Russia's technological, tactical, and numerical advantages. Russia has deployed maneuverable ballistic missiles that can bypass the radar of the highly praised "Patriot" air defense system, and every few nights, it launches record numbers of drones to bomb Ukraine. The U.S. stopping the supply of interception missiles will further worsen Ukraine's situation.

The "Patriot" missile is one of the most sought-after military technologies. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have consumed large quantities of missiles, and its manufacturer is striving to produce enough missiles to replenish the stock. Lockheed Martin produces about 550 interception missiles per year, which can be sold to the U.S. and 18 other countries using the "Patriot" system.

The Pentagon has not ruled out the possibility of future aid to Ukraine, including the provision of air defense interception missiles, and said it would provide options to President Trump that align with his goal of ending the war, continuing military assistance to Kyiv.

For Ukraine, there are few alternatives. European allies are also currently struggling to increase missile production, highlighting the difficulty of Western defense industries in restoring capacity to levels required for consumptive, high-intensity warfare.

Douglas Barry, a military aerospace expert at the Royal United Services Institute in the UK, said: "Is this bad news for Kyiv? Obviously, yes, because it reduces its threat to the Russian Air Force."

Barry said that due to the scarcity of interception missiles, the U.S. reducing supplies is inevitable.

He said: "Defense departments and governments of Western countries have to talk about resilience issues, and this part concerns the depth of manufacturing, that is, what they can produce."

Kyiv has always placed air defense systems, especially munitions, at the top of its list of weapons it hopes to receive from the West. Although European and Ukrainian-made equipment can effectively shoot down Russian long-range "Shahed" drones and cruise missiles, the "Patriot" system is the only line of defense Ukraine has against ballistic missiles.

Ukraine has been resisting Russia's increasingly severe aerial attacks. According to analysis data from the UK's Information Operations Center, Russia launched a record number of attack drones in June, among which were cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Russia's latest tactic is to launch a large number of drones and missiles in a single attack, overwhelming Ukraine's air defense systems.

According to statistics, Russia has launched 20,100 drones this year, compared to 2,315 in the same period in 2024. However, the number of complex cruise missiles and ballistic missiles launched by Russia this year is approximately half of the amount used in the first half of 2024.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, the "Patriot" has often been able to easily shoot down ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles. However, a Ukrainian official said that in recent months, more maneuverable ballistic missiles have been able to evade the radar of the system. In addition, the radar of the "Patriot" cannot achieve 360-degree coverage, and its missile launchers are tilted, leaving blind spots that can be exploited by opponents.

Analysts say that Russia's "Iskander" missiles can perform maneuvers during flight. However, Barry said that Russia is more likely to determine the coverage of the "Patriot" radar system and then fire missiles into its blind spots.

Raytheon Technologies, which produces components for the "Patriot," has not commented on the situation in Ukraine but stated that the company continuously updates the system based on real combat situations.

At present, a more urgent issue for Ukraine is the shortage of missiles. Given the huge demand for "Patriot" interception missiles, U.S. officials have previously expressed concerns about the supply situation.

Doug Bush, who previously served as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement, Logistics, and Technology, said last year: "This keeps me up at night."

Tim Cahill, head of missile business at Lockheed Martin, said the company will soon be able to produce 600 interception missiles per year. The company is also seeking to establish production lines in Europe. Missiles such as the "Patriot" interception missiles typically have a production cycle of over a year.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524244302784905747/

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