US Army To Expand Patriot Missile Defense Force - Commander

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2023) The US Army is going to expand its arsenal of Patriot anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons in response to growing operational demands, Space and Missile Defense Command chief Lieutenant General Daniel Karbler told reporters at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama.

"We have a requirement to grow Patriot force structure," Karbler said on Tuesday as quoted by the Army Times. "We will grow Patriot force structure."

Karbler said US Army senior leaders recognize the demands on the Patriot force.

"We are addressing that through increasing our Patriot units that are out there," he added.

The US Army currently fields 15 battalions of Patriots in its active force and has current funding to build another one, the report added.

Over the past ten years Patriot battalions have experienced the highest operational tempo with more continuing demands than any other element of the Army, the report said.