Seventeen MIM-104 Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems are being prepared for shipment to Ukraine. Some of them will be delivered in the coming days.US

Amid escalating Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine, simmering tensions in the Middle East, and a Europe seeking to rearm in the face of an ever-more belligerent Kremlin, one piece of military kit in particular is currently in hot demand across the globe —  Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles.

The MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems has proved critical in helping shield Ukraine from Russian attacks.

See the latest news for MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems. Photo and video MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems on website the information agency

The US Department of Defense (DoD) currently has only 25 percent of the interceptors needed for all its military plans, with conflicts in the Middle East contributing to the shortage.

Ukraine's inventory of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems have been very effective against Russia, two US Army officers told BI.

The United States is planning to spend USD 1.3 billion to produce interceptor missiles for the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system. The US Army has also quietly

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sacrificed an estimated 1 million of his soldiers, killed and wounded, in a three-year campaign to crush Ukraine