Defense Minister Reznikov announced the timeline of the training of Patriot SAM operators

In the conversation with representatives of critical infrastructure, Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine discussed the terms of training for American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system operators.

ArmyInform reported this.

Reznikov stated that the American partners committed to training Ukrainian officers within ten weeks.

“Previously, we could not even dream of what we would be provided with, for example, Patriot, which is worth a billion dollars, and the preparation, which would last for ten months, would be minimal. Today, there is a decision that our officers will be prepared within ten weeks. Such commitments were made by the American partners,” Oleksii Reznikov stated.

Earlier, on January 16, the Ukrainian military arrived in the United States to start mastering the American Patriot air defense systems.

Roughly 100 Ukrainian troops arrived on U.S. soil this evening – they'll soon begin training on the Patriot missile system at Fort Sill, OK. @ZelenskyyUa says the system will make a significant difference in bolstering Kyiv's defenses against Russia. @FoxNewsMMR @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/JFCC6GvA43

— Austin Westfall (@WestfallAustin) January 16, 2023

Training will take place at the Fort Sill base in Oklahoma. The U.S. military is conducting its own Patriot SAM operation and maintenance training there.

The first group should include between 90 and 100 Ukrainian servicemen. This is the amount of personnel needed to maintain one Patriot battery, which includes up to eight launchers, along with auxiliary equipment and systems.

According to rough estimates, provided that Ukrainian officers start working immediately, the completion of training should be expected at the end of March.

Earlier, senior U.S. defense officials stated that the training will be carried out through a reduced program and will take “several months.”

According to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with The Associated Press, Ukrainian troops will undergo exercises faster than usual “without compromising the quality of the use of these weapons on the battlefield.”

According to the Pentagon, the Patriot system is worth between $450 million and $550 million. The cost depends on the platform configuration. Each missile to the Patriot costs approximately $4 million.

On December 21, the United States announced another package of military assistance for Ukraine. In particular, it included one Patriot anti-aircraft missile system battery with missiles.