Demand for the US-made Patriot air defence system has surged due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the escalating conflict in the Middle East, leading to dwindling global supplies. Originally deployed in 1991, the Patriot system—an advanced, mobile surface-to-air missile defense—is crucial for intercepting aircraft, ballistic, and cruise missiles. Ukraine urgently needs more interceptors to counter nightly Russian attacks, but supplies are strained as the US and Gulf nations have depleted their arsenals. The system utilizes different interceptors, including the blast-fragmentation PAC-2 and the more precise "hit-to-kill" PAC-3, manufactured by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin respectively. Modernizations over the decades have expanded the Patriot’s capabilities, and it’s expected to remain in service until 2048. Some European nations are even retaining their Patriot missiles for their own potential defense needs, exacerbating the shortage.