The Global Patriot®  air defense solution is a missile defense system consisting of radars, command-and-control technology and multiple types of interceptors, all working together to detect, identify and defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, advanced aircraft and other threats.

The Patriot missile defense system is the foundation of integrated air and missile defense for 19 nations.

Proven in war and peace

Since it was first fielded, the Patriot missile defense system has been used by five nations in more than 250 combat engagements against manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles. Since January of 2015, the Patriot missile defense system has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat operations around the world; more than 90 of those intercepts involved the low-cost Raytheon-made Guidance Enhanced Missile family of surface-to-air missiles.

Those engagements were possible because the Patriot missile defense system is built on a foundation of more than 3,000 ground tests and over 1,400 flight tests.

Each and every time the Patriot missile defense system is tested or live fired, engineers uncover new ways to further improve or enhance the system. The improvements are necessary because the threat is constantly changing and becoming more sophisticated. 

Continually upgraded

The result of the improvements and enhancements is that today’s Patriot missile defense system is advanced, modern, and capable of defeating the full spectrum of threats. It shares the same name and basic purpose of the Patriot of the past, but that is where the similarity ends.

The Patriot missile defense system has continually embraced new technologies to stay ahead of evolving threats. As a result, with a few small exceptions, such as heaters and cooling fans, the bulk of the system has been modernized over the past 17 years.

This is possible because the Patriot missile defense system's architecture is flexible and designed in a manner that allows it to be continually upgraded and improved. 

This on-going modernization is funded by members of the Patriot partnership – a 19-nation consortium of Patriot missile defense system users which has invested significantly in improvements, enhancements and upgrades over the past 20 years.

19-nation interoperability

Raytheon has built and delivered more than 240 Patriot fire units. Many countries have chosen to take advantage of the Patriot missile defense system's flexible architecture and upgraded their systems. 

That translates into global interoperability. Countries with the Patriot missile defense system can – and do – train together. And if need be, they can operate together in combat. 

The future of air and missile defense

Global Patriot solutions have a defined growth path that will ensure the system continues outpacing the threat through 2048 and beyond.

Patriot is a long-range, high altitude, all-weather solution that has been rigorously tested more than 2,500 times with U.S. Army oversight under real-world conditions.
Patriot is a long-range, high altitude, all-weather solution that has been rigorously tested more than 2,500 times with U.S. Army oversight under real-world conditions.
Global Patriot Solutions provides a missile defense architecture that is continuously upgraded to keep ahead of evolving threats.
Global Patriot Solutions provides a missile defense architecture that is continuously upgraded to keep ahead of evolving threats.
The combat-proven Patriot is the world's most advanced air and missile defense system.
The combat-proven Patriot is the world's most advanced air and missile defense system.
Global Patriot Solutions can counter threats from tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and advanced aircraft.
Global Patriot Solutions can counter threats from tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and advanced aircraft.