Ukrainian steel giant develops armor protection for Patriot air defense systems
Ukraine’s largest steelmaker, Metinvest Group, has successfully manufactured and installed armored protection for the control module of the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, the company’s press service announced on 3 January 2025.
Ukraine’s Patriot systems are primary targets of Russian missile attacks, with Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles consistently failing to strike them despite repeated Russian claims of success. However, only two launcher losses while on the move have been confirmed to date.
According to Oleksandr Myronenko, Chief Operating Officer of Metinvest Group,
“We developed the project from scratch in a month a half, and, following the blueprints, manufactured a shield for the crews of the Patriot surface-to-air missile system using Metinvest’s Ukrainian armor steel.”
The protective shield, manufactured as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front defense initiative, consists of nearly 200 armored steel plates with thickness up to 8 mm. The company reports that while the total weight of the armor exceeds 2.6 tonnes, but it does not affect the system’s functionality or mobility.
The protection is manufactured using 30KhN2MA grade steel, which the company notes possesses enhanced properties of wear resistance, strength, toughness, and resistance to mechanical stress.
Metinvest earlier mastered the manufacture of steel screens for T-64 and T-72 tanks, American M1 Abrams tanks, and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, with plans to integrate protection systems for various Leopard 2 tank modifications. The company reports delivering more than 300 screens to the military to date.
As part of the Steel Front defense initiative, Metinvest has allocated UAH4.4 billion or $104 million to support Ukraine’s defenders.
Related:
Related posts:
Cost-effective steel-screen Ukrainian solution outperforms Russian “turtle” tank protection
WSJ: Clan of Chechen warlord Kadyrov plunders, profits from captured Ukrainian steel plant in Mariupol
Ukraine's largest steelmaker suspends operations at Pokrovsk coal mine
Zelenskyy claims Europe’s air defense systems “just standing there” instead of helping Ukraine from Russian attacks
Russo-Ukrainian War, day 1045: Ukraine deploys new fiber optic-controlled drones
Netherlands hands over 3 Patriot air defense launchers to Ukraine
Ukraine suspends coking coal mining near Donetsk’s Pokrovsk amid Russian advance
Why is Ukraine losing ground? Deep analysis of military problems in 2025
About The Author
