First used in the 1991 Gulf War, the advanced U.S. Patriot air defense system has seen demand increasing sharply this year, with supplies of interceptor missiles depleted by the Russia-Ukraine war and the widening conflict in the Middle East.
Ukraine is urgently seeking more Patriot interceptors to defend against a nightly barrage of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
But the Iran war has drained arsenals in the U.S. and the Gulf, and some European countries are holding onto missiles they may need for their own defense.
Here are some details about the Patriot air defense system, one of the most advanced weapons in the U.S. arsenal.
What is the Patriot system?
