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Ukraine’s Battle-Tested Patriots Are Now Reportedly Smarter and Deadlier
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian battlefield experience has significantly improved the effectiveness of the Patriot air defense system, according to The War Zone editor-in-chief, Tyler Rogoway, on X on June 24.
Rogoway wrote that software updates to the US-made Patriot system were directly informed by its real-world use in Ukraine, where it has been deployed under some of the most intense and complex air defense conditions ever recorded.
Patriot batted 1000 today. A lot of software improvements for Patriot have come out of the war in Ukraine. Saudi's defense against the Houthis as well, but I have been told Ukraine was a huge leap. Mounds of constant data from real engagements used to tweak the system.
— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 23, 2025
“The unique operating conditions Ukrainian air defenders face allowed developers to modernize both the hardware and software components of the Patriot system,” he noted.
While Saudi Arabian forces have also contributed to the system’s evolution through their use against Houthi missile and drone attacks, Rogoway emphasized that Ukraine’s experience brought the most significant leap in Patriot capability.
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His comments come amid renewed concerns over missile threats, following recent Iranian strikes on US assets in Qatar and Iraq—incidents that have reignited discussions in defense circles about the critical importance of reliable missile defense infrastructure.
Rogoway appeared to specifically reference the PAC-3 variant of the Patriot, which is designed to intercept ballistic threats. This version has played a key role in Ukraine’s recent defensive successes.
Ukrainian forces were the first in the world to successfully intercept Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles—Russian hypersonic weapons previously considered nearly impossible to shoot down.
Ukrainian air defenders have since demonstrated consistent success in downing Russian Iskander ballistic missiles and even North Korean-made KN-23 missiles, which Russia has begun using in its war on Ukraine.
In addition, Ukraine was offering investment opportunities to Raytheon, the American defense giant behind the Patriot missile system, and is actively seeking broader cooperation with other US defense companies
Earlier, German defense giant Rheinmetall and US prime contractor Lockheed Martin agreed to set up a Europe-based joint venture that will build some of Washington’s most in-demand missiles.
