New Delhi: As Iran rained ballistic missiles at 4 AM Indian Standard Time on Wednesday on the biggest US base in Iraq and another base hosting American soldiers in Erbil in western Iraq causing considerable mayhem, another formidable reputation was also grinded to the dust. The myth of invincibility of the much-hyped Patriot air defence system that in all possibility guarded the high-risk bases also lay in tatters.
It was the second major incident where the Patriot system, a surface-to-air, air-defence missile system that is deployed with the US, allied, and partner forces in multiple theatres across the world—failed to intercept and destroy incoming projectiles.
On September 14, 2019, Iran-backed Houthi rebels let loose a barrage of cruise missiles and drones at two vital oil installations in Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais districts leading to a shock in the global oil market.
It was a telling commentary on US intelligence gathering satellite network and efficacy of the Patriot system which the Saudis bought from the Americans at a huge cost of about $1 billion per missile battery and each missile costing up to $3 million apiece.
After the attack by the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, it was explained away that the Patriot system was not at its best when countering drones and cruise missiles which are slower, low-flying and have greater manoeuvrability. But Wednesday’s attack has exposed its vulnerability against ballistic missile too. Ballistic missiles are high-speed projectiles that home in to a target from a high altitude.