{"id":1892596,"date":"2023-01-10T14:11:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T19:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-1016567-4521551.cloudwaysapps.com\/plato-data\/ukrainian-troops-heading-to-oklahoma-for-patriot-missile-training\/"},"modified":"2023-01-10T14:11:27","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T19:11:27","slug":"ukrainian-troops-heading-to-oklahoma-for-patriot-missile-training","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platodata.io\/plato-data\/ukrainian-troops-heading-to-oklahoma-for-patriot-missile-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian troops heading to Oklahoma for Patriot missile training"},"content":{"rendered":"

A hundred Ukrainian soldiers are set to begin training on the Patriot missile system<\/a> at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, \u201cas soon as next week,\u201d Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Tuesday during a press briefing.<\/p>\n

The Army selected Fort Sill<\/a> over training ranges in Europe <\/a>because the Patriot\u2019s school house, which is normally a two-year training pipeline, is located at the Oklahoma post.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce fielded the Patriot will contribute to Ukraine\u2019s air defense capabilities<\/a> and provide another capability to Ukrainian people to defend themselves against Russia\u2019s ongoing aerial assaults,\u201d Ryder said.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon announced in late 2022 that it intended to provide a single Patriot system to Ukrainian forces, as well as the required training to operate it.<\/p>\n

The 100 troops scheduled for training at Fort Sill are roughly the number that would be assigned to a U.S. Patriot battery.<\/p>\n

This first rotation of troops is the only one currently planned, but \u201cwe will keep the dialogue open in terms of any potential future training,\u201d Ryder said. \u201cBut right now the focus is on training these operators to operate the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pentagon did not announce an official timeline for the training, except to say that it will be shortened from the multiyear advanced individual training new U.S. soldiers get on the system.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainians selected for training already have an air defense artillery background, Ryder said, and there is an emphasis on returning them to the battlefield.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not winging it in terms of the training,\u201d Ryder said. \u201cThis will be an established curriculum to train the soldiers on the Patriot system, although expedited to ensure that they can get back to Ukraine as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ukrainian troops have trained stateside before, including a group of 10 who learned to operate the Switchblade drone system early last year \u2014 as the Russian invasion began \u2014 during previously scheduled professional military education.<\/p>\n

They returned home April 10.<\/p>\n

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Asked whether any other U.S.-provided systems would be best suited for training in the U.S., \u201cAs of right now, this will be the only one that I\u2019m tracking. But of course, we\u2019ll continue to stay flexible and do what makes the most sense and supportive,\u201d Ryder told Military Times.<\/p>\n

This latest group is separate from the recently announced monthly rotation of 500 Ukrainian troops to Germany, where they will receive combined-arms maneuver training. That\u2019s also set to begin next week, Ryder said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCombined arms-maneuver training is a logical next step in our ongoing training efforts, which began in 2014, to build the Ukrainian armed forces\u2019 capacity,\u201d Ryder said Dec. 15. \u201cWhile there\u2019s an understandable focus on the equipment being provided to Ukraine, training is and has been essential to ensuring Ukraine has the skilled forces necessary to better defend themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n