The IDF is preparing to replace the Patriot anti-missile system, which is ending its service in the Air Force after decades of activity and the interception of 19 targets.
The ‘Patriot’ anti-missile system, or as it is known by its Israeli name ‘Yahalom,’ operates against aircraft and ballistic missiles. Its mission is to intercept manned and unmanned hostile aircraft, combat helicopters, and even long-range missiles.
“The Yahalom’s first interception was during Operation Protective Edge, against a UAV from the Gaza Strip,” says the commander of the Patriot Battalion, Lt. Col. Matan. “From 2014 until today, the system has intercepted 19 targets, 9 of which were in the current war. The system has operated powerfully and will continue to do so until its last moments.” These involve non-routine goals of intercepting powerful and large aircraft.
“The batteries have been deployed from the north of the country all the way to Eilat, and they have had many achievements since October 7th,” says Matan, “however, the Patriot is an old system, whose maintenance is challenging, so we are currently in the process of reducing the number of batteries, until closing down the entire system.”
The Patriot is being replaced by a weapon system with an even more advanced technology. “We understood that we need to move forward and improve our defense methods,” says Lt. Col. Matan. “The innovations in the military formation provide a better operational and maintenance response.”
“I have mixed feelings about the closure – as a fighter and officer in the Patriot system. I am very connected to it, professionally and even personally,” he shares with a smile. “Ultimately, this is a farewell not only to the system, but also to the people I have worked with and to a certain environment. But every end is the beginning of something new.”
“Those who work on the system are the people,” he concludes, “starting with the soldiers and the maintenance workers, who serve in all areas of the country in the most professional and dedicated manner possible and they, of course, have a strong connection to the system. But in the end, both the members of the battalion and I understand the meaning and the ultimate goal – defending the skies of the State of Israel.”
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