Ukrainian troops to train on Patriot system in Oklahoma

By TARA COPP
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says about 100 Ukrainians will head to Oklahoma’s Fort Sill as soon as next week to begin training on the Patriot missile defense system. Ukraine has long sought the Patriot surface-to-air guided missile defense system because it can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles. The number of Ukrainians coming to Fort Sill is approximately the number it takes to operate one battery. The Pentagon spokesman said Patriot training normally can take several months, but it will be shortened to get the Ukrainian troops back into combat sooner. He said Fort Sill was selected because it already runs Patriot training schools.