Introduction

The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface to air missile system (SAM), the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the U.S. defence contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the "Phased array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target" or the bacronym PATRIOT. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium Air Defence (HIMAD) system, and replaced the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army's medium tactical air defence system. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given the function of the U.S. Army's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system, which is now Patriot's primary mission. The system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.

The Patriot air defence system achieved its first shoot downs of enemy aircraft in the service of the Israeli Air Defence Command. Israeli MIM-104D batteries shot down two Hamas UAV's during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and later, on September 23, 2014 an Israeli Patriot battery shot down a Syrian Air Force Suhkoi SU-24 which had penetrated Israeli airspace, achieving the first shoot down of a manned enemy aircraft in the world for the system.
**Information from Wikipedia**

Patriot systems have been sold to Republic of China (Taiwan), Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Spain. Poland hosts training rotations of a battery of U.S. Patriot launchers. (reference from the book and wikipedia)

Review

The book goes on to describe how the patriot became a product of the Cold War confrontation between the USA and Soviet Union. Both parties used German scientists captured during World War II to develop it's ballistic missiles, which derived from the famous V-2 Rocket and the little known German surface-to-air missile (SAM) called the wassarfall (waterfall). The Germans flight - tested it in early 1944 but were unable to field it before the end of the war.

Studies for an advanced SAM to supplement and eventually replace the MIM-23 Hawk (Homing All the Way Killer) began in 1961 by the US Army Missile Command (MICOM). In April 1966 the US Department of Defence (DoD) issued a contract definition awards to Raytheon, Hughes and RCA with Raytheon receiving an advanced missile development contract in 1967.

The book moves on through some more history telling us how it was done and how it was first used in 1969 when an American missile scored its first success against a tactical ballistic missile. The MIM-14 Nike Hercules, successor to the first operational American SAM, the MIM-3 Nike-Ajax, intercepted first an army MGM-5 Corporal ballistic missile and later that same year, another Nike-Hercules that used a nuclear warhead. It proceeds on through some more of the development history before getting onto the Patriot Battalion Organisation.

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery.
The command section is responsible for command and control of the battalion and it ensures that functions pertaining to the battalion's overall operation are properly planned, co-ordinated and executed. This lists the different officers and personnel that oversee the day to day running including coordinating all personnel and logistics -related matters, as well as the resupply of Patriot batteries. This includes the section responsible for the control over the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT for short). It goes on about various different tactical personnel and sections from logistics to re-arming and to supplies. While reading all this you have quite a few pictures of stunning quality showing the patriot in different scenarios out in the field.

Then follows a section on the patriot Pac-2 missiles with a drawn cutaway missile including all the different sections with everything listed from the radome to link aerials. The patriot is designed to destroy TBM's, cruise missiles or aircraft with a conventional high-explosive (HE) warhead. It consists of the radome, guidance section, warhead section, propulsion assembly and control actuator assembly. The standard MIM-104 missile was the first type fielded, and it contained an analogue fuse that was later replaced by a digital version in the MIM104A. The MIM104 and the MIM104A were referred to as the PAC-1.

The MIM104C missile also referred to as the PAC-2 was fielded during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to counter the advanced threat of TBM's. In contrast to the former MIM104 PAC-1, the new warhead contained a more powerful explosive and more larger fragments designed to place sufficient kinetic energy onto the warhead section of a hostile TBM to achieve a warhead kill. The dual-mode fuse allowed PAC-2 missile to retain aircraft target performance and to also optimise performance against TBM's.

The pages that follow become more picture heavy showing the patriot system from various angles out in the field. The high quality photos really are very good and it becomes more like a walk around showing the different items on the patriot system like the launching station being raised to its optimised firing position angle of 38 degrees.

Patriot Radar station
This section of the book concentrates on the radar station AN/MPQ-53 which each patriot system requires. The picture quality here is just like the previous section high quality showing a M983A2R1 HEMTT tractor unit and M860A1 Semitrailer with the radar in different states from closed for transporting and up in operational state. The article on the radar section covers several further pages all of them with the same high quality pictures with the radar in various positions including some very close up shots of the radar itself.

The M983A2R1 HEMTT tractor unit is next with a dozen or so pictures giving you a walk around of the tractor unit which also includes close up shots too.

AN/MSQ-104 engagement control station (ECS), each battery features one of these ECS mounted on a M927 5-ton cargo truck. The shelter on the cargo body incorporates the EWCC, three UHF radio relay terminals, a voice communications station, two AN/VRC-92A VHF SINCGARS radios, a VHF data-link terminal, radar weapons control interface unit, DVD drives and an embedded data recorder. The crew of the ECS consists of the tactical fire control officer, tactical control assistant and a non-commissioned officer (NCO) for the communications systems. Several pictures show this in operation in the field.

AN/MSQ-116 information and coordinated central (ICC) provides the patriot air defence system with the automatic data-processing and communication capabilities required to operate with other air defence systems. The ICC can be interconnected with other weapons and surveillance systems such as the US Air Force (USAF) tactical air control and tactical air defence systems or the USAF air defence and command and airborne warning and control systems (AWACS). The ICC crew consists of the tactical director, tactical director assistant and network switch operator.

AN/MSQ-129 Tactical command system mounted on a M934 5 ton truck is an expansible shelter that is emplaced near the battalion. It provides automated defence and communications planning for the battalion, as well as giving situation awareness to the commander.

OE-349/MRC Antenna Mast Group (AMG) also mounted on the M934 5-ton truck to protect the sensitive antenna kit the vehicle features two folding sidewalls. The AMG consists of two antenna mast units with two parabolic directional antennas, as well as two amplifiers. The aerials can be pneumatically raised of heights up to 31 metres above ground level. There are a lot of pictures showing the AMG in different situations with the walk around type of photos.

AN/MRC -127 Communications relay group (CRG) provides a multi-routed, secure, two-way data relay between the ICC and its assigned batteries. There are five pictures of the CRG in different situations.

M997AR1 Electrical power plant each patriot firing battery has an electric power plant (EPP) based on the HEMTT, there are two 150KW, 400Hzdiesel generators in the cargo bay that are connected by a power distribution unit. Each generator features a 284-litre fuel tank allowing it to run for a period of eight hours. With several pictures of the EPP in the field showing different situations you realise just what is involved with the whole patriot situation.

M985A2R1 HEMTT guided missile transporter each of the four batteries of a patriot unit fields a guided missile transporter.

M113HMMWV Battery command post consists of a of an M1113 expanded capacity HMMWV with an S-832 standardised integrated command post system (SCIPS) rigid wall shelter, and a trailer with the deployable rapid-assembly shelter (DRASH) modular tent that attaches to the rear of the vehicle.

There is a technical data 2 pages for the patriot system this is followed by the last section Patriot system support vehicles. this section covers a multitude of support vehicles like articulated trucks carrying spares and equipment, the trucks to transport the Air defence artillery regiment, HEMMT wreckers and heavy lift, the HEMTT fuel tanker, Medical section, various HMMWV for all of the RSOP and finally the mechanics to keep everything going.

Conclusion

This was one of those books that you look at and think OMG I never imagined just how much was involved in the patriot movement and set up on location. I was really shocked at the amount of information contained in this book the photographs are outstanding very high quality and displaying so much detail on most of the vehicles and batteries. The amount of pictures in this book is incredible and really makes you think about the amount of vehicles and men needed to move and set up a Patriot battalion. I don't think that this book could have been released at a better time, with the release of so many different model Patriot systems, being made making this patriot system book a great companion for any of those modellers who have bought one or are going too.