"Maintaining a high level of readiness": A closeup look at the U.S. air defense system near Ukraine

About 50 miles from Ukraine at an airport in Eastern Poland, a major show of American force is designed to deter Russian aggression. The U.S. has deployed two Patriot missile batteries, which are among the most sophisticated air defense systems in the world. 

The weapon defeats threats by shooting them out of the sky. 

"All of these missiles are designed to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, designed to defeat cruise-type missiles, as well as aircraft," said the battery commander, who CBS News was asked not to name for security reasons. "Regardless of intentional or accidental, the system actually does not have the means of discriminating against those, it identifies threats and we have the ability of defeating those threats."