Patriot Missile Defense: Inside the $1 Billion Shield Against Modern Threats
Technology Overview System Architecture: A Patriot battery consists of six main components – 1) interceptors (missiles), 2) launcher units, 3) a phased-array radar, 4) an engagement control station (ECS), 5) an electric power plant, and 6) an antenna mast for communications missilethreat.csis.org. All components are truck- or trailer-mounted for mobility, and a battery-sized unit can be emplaced in under an hour en.wikipedia.org. The battery’s fire control section (radar, ECS, antenna mast, power unit) coordinates detection and tracking, while multiple launcher vehicles (typically 4–8 per battery) carry the missiles en.wikipedia.org defensenews.com. Patriot units can disperse launchers up to 10 km from
