35 PAC-3 missiles for Ukraine? Germany comes up with unexpected proposal
Photo: Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defense (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Germany has proposed to Western allies to provide Ukraine with 35 PAC-3 missiles, designed for Patriot systems, said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at a press conference after the Ramstein meeting.
"I decided to suggest spontaneously at the end of our session that Germany is going to deliver 5 additional interceptor missiles called PAC-3 to Ukraine if other supporting countries donate a total of 30 PAC-3," he said.
Reaction from Fedorov
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that work is ongoing with the United States to contract PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot system. Ukrainian forces currently lack such interceptors.
"Our colleague Boris (Pistorius - ed.) showed fantastic initiative today, and I believe this will help us soon receive additional PAC-3 missiles, alongside what we get through the PURL program," he added.
Fedorov noted that Ukraine’s partners today announced $500 million in funding for the PURL program. These funds will be used, in particular, to purchase PAC-3 missiles in the United States.
"You see, Russia launches up to 20 ballistic missiles… that’s about a hundred missiles in one attack. And I don’t think there’s any air defense system in the world that is ready to combat such a large number of missiles. So our goal is to secure PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles," the Ukrainian minister said.
He also highlighted issues with missiles for SAMP/T systems, stressing that Europe needs to increase production of such weapons.
"The whole world must work with Ukraine, and Ukraine with the whole world, to develop more PAC-3 missiles or similar systems to defend against attacks like this," Fedorov emphasized.
PAC-2 vs PAC-3: what’s the difference
PAC-2 (Patriot Advanced Capability-2) and PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) are two different generations of air defense systems, with significant differences in how they destroy targets.
According to aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap, the PAC-2 was primarily designed to intercept aircraft and cruise missiles. It uses a powerful 90-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead that detonates near the target, destroying it with a cloud of shrapnel.
In contrast, the PAC-3 is a specialized ballistic missile interceptor that works on a hit-to-kill principle, destroying its target through direct collision at extremely high speed.
However, as the expert noted in comments to RBC-Ukraine, it takes two PAC-3 missiles to intercept a single ballistic missile. So 30 missiles would be enough to intercept roughly 15 enemy ballistic targets.
Earlier, FT reported that due to a critical shortage of PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot systems, Ukrainian launchers remained empty last month, allowing Russian ballistic missiles to strike power plants unopposed.
According to a representative of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat, ammunition is depleting faster than the aid is arriving.
