Israel has decided to stop using its Patriot systems while Europe is in the process of setting up a manufacturing column to produce GEM-T weapons for Western Patriot batteries. Would Israelis possess a skill that Europeans lack?
The GEM- T, or advice- enhanced military weapons, are part of the Patriot PAC- 2 air defense system.  , This weapon is capture aircraft, uavs, helicopters and some military missiles. It might be able to strike sail weapons similar to those used by the Russians in Ukraine.  ,  ,
GEM-T uses a storm separation warhead, and the and version has an improved wire to more effectively combat threats.
GEM- T has a range of 70 km ( 43.5 miles ) and can make intercepts at a height up to 24 km ( 15 miles ).
Jewish Patriot batteries are credited with nine shootdowns in the most recent Egyptian attack on Israel.  , Israel has not specified what was intercepted.
In 1991, Israel received its first Soldier batteries. The techniques, called Yahalom in Hebrew, are operated by Israel’s 138th Battalion. Over time, the networks have changed.
Since 2022 Western states have been ordering GEM- 2 ships, primarily from Raytheon ( now called RTX ).  , Just an existing cooperative venture called COMLOG, half owned by RTX and the other quarter by MBDA, is investing in starting a new production line for GEM- T interceptors, primarily in Germany.  ,
The first customers will remain Romania, Netherlands, Spain and Germany. This source will supply up to 1, 000 weapons to the four customers, along with extra missiles from the US. Now, RTX produces about 20 missiles per month, and it plans to increase to 30 by 2027.  , Yet with COMLOG, it will take decades to meet the missile orders.
Italy is one of GEM- 2, along with many other international buyers, including Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Nationalist systems can be about divided into two types, PAC- 2 and PAC- 3, although some PAC- 2 Patriot systems have been upgraded so they can blaze PAC 3 interceptors.
In 2011 Israel announced it was  , upgrading its Committee- 2 missiles to help PAC- 3 ships.  , It is not obvious if these modifications took position, as Israel’s house- built air defense systems were given objective.
Israel likewise invested seriously, partnered with RTX, in the development of the Tamir fighter for Israel’s Iron Dome program and Stunner for David’s Sling, which is a nimble two- stage hit- to- remove interceptor.  ,
Later, Israel and RTX collaborated to create SkyCeptor, a Patriot battery-compatible variant of the hit-and-kill Stunner that will likely serve as the PAC-4 interceptor missile. The Pentagon estimates that SkyCeptor is much less expensive than the PAC-3 MSE interceptor.
Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 are just a few examples of Israel’s highly integrated air defense network. It is unlikely that Israel would integrate its Patriots into its overall network.  , One deployment of Patriot, to Eilat in Israel’s south, was sent there to deal with Houthi- launched cruise missiles. That deployment suggests Patriot was n’t a member of the integrated air defense network.
Israel claims that when compared to local alternatives, the PAC- 2 system was difficult to maintain and very expensive. Some Israelis claimed that the system was insufficiently effective against a variety of missile threats, despite not directly criticizing PAC 2 or GEM- T.  ,
Some people suggested that Israel would supply Ukraine with its Patriot batteries.  , While that is unlikely, if the GEM- T interceptors are in good shape they could be sold to foreign customers. ( All sales would require US approval. )  , Such sales could free up new- production GEM- T missiles for delivery to Ukraine.
By the end of June, Israel intends to decommission its Patriot batteries, which means that these missiles will soon be able to be re-placed elsewhere. Additionally, Israel might be able to provide its GEM-T missiles to “local” customers like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Transferring Israeli Patriot batteries to Jordan might help strengthen its air defenses.  , Jordan supported Israel by , shooting down a number of drones , headed for Israeli territory during Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13th.  ,
It would be surprising to see that Israel has n’t already arranged orders for its Patriot batteries and GEM-T interceptors.
Israel’s networked air defense system has features that PAC- 2 does not, including more sophisticated command and control, more advanced radars, significantly better onboard sensors for Stunner and other missiles, and the ability to identify where threats come from.
Even so, PAC- 2 with GEM- T remains a capable interceptor, although the system does not fit well into Israel’s evolved air defense complex. The retired Israeli systems can still be useful in developing countries where air defenses are not yet integrated and interceptor stocks are low.  , Europe has a long way to go before it has adequate air defense capabilities.  ,  ,
Therefore, it is unlikely that Israel’s Patriots will head to the scrap heap.
Stephen Bryen served as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Near East Subcommittee’s policy director and as its deputy undersecretary of defense.  ,
This article was first published on his , Weapons and Strategy , Substack and is republished with permission.