Patriot missiles are advanced air defense systems designed to shoot down incoming threats like missiles, aircraft, or drones. Built by the U.S., they use radar to track and destroy targets with high precision. These systems became famous during the Gulf War and have since been upgraded to defend against modern threats, including ballistic missiles.

Donald Trump recently suggested he may send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, calling them “100% effective.” Ukraine has already received a few from allies, and they’ve been used to intercept Russian attacks. However, military experts say no system is perfect—Patriots are powerful, but expensive and limited in number.