Patriot Missiles Michael Beattie Overview Sophisticated guided missile

Patriot Missiles Michael Beattie

Overview § Sophisticated guided missile § Designed to detect, target, and hit an incoming missile § Depends on ground-based radar

Overview § Batteries consist of 5 components: § Missiles § Missile launcher § Radar antenna § Equipment van (Engagement Control Station-ECS) § Power plant truck

The Missiles § Patriot missile currently comes in 2 forms: § Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-2 § PAC-3 (Deployed in 2002)

The Missiles § PAC-2 Missile: § 17 feet long § 16 inches in diameter § Fins extend another 16 inches § Weighs almost 2000 pounds § Carries 200 -pound fragmentation bomb § Flies at mach 5

The Missiles

The Missiles § 4 PAC-2 Missiles fit on a launcher § PAC-2 should either destroy incoming missile or knock it off course § Not meant to actually “hit” target

The Missiles § PAC-3 Missile: § Weighs only 686 pounds § Only 10 inches in diameter § Fragmentation warhead weighs only 160 pounds § 16 PAC-3 missiles can fit on one launcher

The Missiles § Idea for PAC-3 is to actually hit and completely destroy incoming target § PAC-3 has its own built-in radar transmitter and guidance computer

The Launcher § A Patriot missile battery can have up to 16 launchers § Each launcher is about the size of a tractor-trailer rig § Each launcher has its own power supply

The Launcher

The Radar § Scan skies for incoming targets § Detect a potential target § Determine trajectory, speed and heading

The Radar § Provide information to identify target § Track Patriot missiles after launch § Illuminate the target

The Radar § Patriot system uses a phasedarray antenna § Can track up to 100 targets and 9 outbound Patriot missiles § Antenna has a 63 mile range

The Radar

The ECS § Command center of the Patriot missile battery § Contains stations for 3 operators and the computers that control the battery § Inside there are 2 radar consoles and a communication station

The ECS

How they work § PAC-2: § Radar antenna scans for targets § Communicates with ECS § ECS launches missile § Continues to track target § Tracks outbound Patriot missile § Illuminates incoming target

How They Work § PAC-3: § Contains its own radar transmitter and computer § Once launched it turns on its radar, finds target and aims for a direct hit § Patriot and target missile approach at up to mach 10 speed

Criticism § After Gulf War, scientists and Clinton § § Administration contended system didn’t work Performance discrepancies impossible to reconcile because of inconsistent record keeping by army Fewer than half of 50 Patriot systems upgraded months before war