Boosting Ukraine's Air Defence System Proves Easier Said Than Done

The US president is seeking to provide better defenses against the Russian artillery that is pounding Ukrainian cities

Joe Biden has promised to help Ukraine get air defense systems with a longer range than the shoulder-borne Stinger missiles already on the ground, but finding the powerful anti-missile batteries Ukraine's military so urgently needs is proving easier said than done.

The US president, who wants to support Ukraine militarily without entering into direct conflict with Russia, is seeking to provide better defenses against the Russian artillery that is pounding its cities.

The ideal armament to do that would be mobile anti-aircraft batteries of the Patriot type, whose effectiveness has been amply demonstrated in recent years in Iraq and the Persian Gulf.

Loaded onto trucks, the Patriot has a radar capable of automatically detecting and intercepting an aircraft, drone or missile within a radius of more than 60 miles (100 kilometers), as well as a surveillance post manned by three soldiers and a battery of interceptor missiles.