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100 patriot missiles is quite a lot isn't it?
Those aren't your typical missiles?
It's just a surface to air missile. 100 is quite a few, but considering how drones are used in this conflict, it's probably not nearly enough.
They are likely reserved for last resort air defense closer to cities or areas where they really need to push back the Russian air force.
Patriot batteries are a bit on the expensive side, so their use is likely limited. If I am not mistaken, Ukraine did get a few batteries from other NATO countries and not just the US.
Yes. For their defence they have IRIS-T Systems from Germany which they seem to like
Ah, so it's more the batteries that are the special part not the missiles themselves?
Well, you need the missiles to use the batteries. I think their point is that a shahed will be blown out of the sky regardless of what SAM missile hits it, and patriots are on the expensive side of SAM missiles. In other words, 100 missiles is enough to shoot down, at most, 100 shaheds.
The advantage of patriots is their high accuracy and ability to engage several targets simultaneously. Therefore, they're probably kept back to take out targets that get passed other AA systems, and to protect more critical infrastructure. That way you don't spend them on shaheds, which can be taken out by pretty much any AA, but save those 100 missiles for when they're really needed.
When you look at it that way, these 100 missiles will probably stop close to 100 targets that otherwise would have gotten through, and that's quite a lot.
They use Gepards to shoot down the shitty Shahed Drones. Missiles are much too expensive for this
Exactly my point- you keep the advanced SAM systems in reserve to take down anything that gets passed the less advanced systems like Gepards and MANPADS.