By Wang Min

王敏

General James J. Mingus, Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army, recently announced plans to increase the number of Patriot missile battalions from 15 to 19 to counter the growing global threats. However, analysts argue that this ambitious expansion plan does not reflect strength but rather serves as a mirror reflecting the hegemonic anxiety of the US in the context of the evolving global security landscape.

近日，美国陆军副参谋长詹姆斯·明格斯宣布，美军计划将“爱国者”导弹营数量从15个增至19个，以应对与日俱增的全球威胁。然而，在分析人士看来，这一雄心勃勃的扩编计划，并非实力的彰显，反而像一面镜子，映射出美国在全球安全态势持续变化下的霸权焦虑。

The US Army has 15 Patriot missile battalions currently, 14 of which are fully combat-ready. To maintain its global hegemonic system, the US has deployed these battalions across multiple hotspots, with three in the so-called Indo-Pacific, one under the US European Command, one under the US Central Command, and the remaining on a rotational deployment. The operational deployment pressure on the troops is immense, as James J. Mingus acknowledged that the Patriot units have become the most stressed element in the US Army.

目前，美军拥有15个“爱国者”导弹营，实际具备完整战备状态的14个。为了维系全球霸权体系，美国将“爱国者”导弹营分散部署至全球多个热点地区：3个营驻扎印太战区，1个营归属欧洲司令部，1个营归属中央司令部，其余部队则长期处于轮换部署状态，部队作战部署压力极为繁重，正如詹姆斯·明格斯承认的那样：“‘爱国者’部队已成为美国陆军压力最大的部队。”

This series of deployments has not alleviated regional challenges; instead, it has amplified the limitations of the Patriot system's combat effectiveness. In the Middle East, to cope with the tension between Israel and Iran, the US military implemented a "rob Peter to pay Paul" redeployment earlier this year by withdrawing a battalion from the Indo-Pacific Command zone to reassign it to Central Command's area, which exposes the fragility of its global intervention strategy. In June, when Iran launched a missile attack on the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Patriot system fired a large number of interceptors in a short time (each worth $4 million), setting the record for the largest salvo interception of this weapon system. While this demonstrated some tactical value, it also exposed the high economic cost and limited sustainability of the system under saturation attacks.

这一系列部署，并未缓解地区挑战冲击，从一定程度上还放大了“爱国者”系统战力的短板。在中东，为应对伊以紧张局势，美军年初实施“拆东墙补西墙式调配”，不得不从印太战区抽调一个营移防中央司令部辖区，暴露出其全球干预战略的脆弱性。今年6月伊朗导弹袭击美军驻卡塔尔乌代德空军基地时，“爱国者”系统短时间内发射大量拦截弹（每枚价值400万美元），创造了该型武器最大规模齐射拦截纪录。这虽展现了一定的战术价值，但也暴露了其在饱和攻击下的高昂经济代价与数量上的有限持续性。

On the battlefield in Ukraine, the predicament of the Patriot system presents itself in another way. As a key component of Ukraine's air defense network, on one hand, the Patriot system struggles to effectively counter Russia's Iskander-M (SS-26) and Oreshnik missiles, with its performance myth nearing collapse; on the other hand, to maintain their own stockpile, the US and its allies are unable to provide additional launchers and interceptors. This tight-fisted scenario also exposes the vulnerability of Western support for Ukraine.

在乌克兰战场，“爱国者”系统的困境则以另一种方式呈现。作为乌防空网的重要组成部分，一方面，“爱国者”系统难以有效应对俄罗斯“伊斯坎德尔-M”“榛树”导弹，其性能神话濒临破产；另一方面，为保证自身库存，美国与盟友无力提供更多发射装置与拦截弹。这种捉襟见肘的场景，也暴露了西方对乌支援的脆弱性。

It is noteworthy that the Patriot expansion plan includes the permanent stationing of a missile battalion on Guam, which will work in coordination with the land-based Aegis missile defense systems to build a defense hub in the western Pacific. However, given Guam's limited land area and isolated geographical position, this "point-based" defense deployment is not only fails to create an effective defense system but may also trigger a new round of regional arms race.

令人关注的是，“爱国者”扩编计划中专门设置了一个导弹营永久驻防关岛，与陆基“宙斯盾”系统协同构建西太防御枢纽。但鉴于关岛有限的陆地面积与孤立的地理位置，这种“以点制面”的防御部署，不仅难以构建有效防御体系，更可能引发新一轮区域性军备竞赛。

To maintain global military hegemony, the US military is seeking a significant increase in its inventory of Patriot interceptors. The Pentagon's 2026 budget documents reveal that the procurement of Patriot interceptors will surge from an initial 3,376 to 13,773. However, producing such a large number of missiles is no easy task. According to reports, Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the Patriot system, is projected to produce more than 600 Patriot interceptors this year, a production milestone for the company. However, this is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the ever-growing demand gap.

为维护全球军事霸权，美军正寻求大幅增加“爱国者”拦截导弹的库存。五角大楼2026年预算文件显示，“爱国者”拦截弹的采购数量从最初的3376枚激增至13773枚。但生产足够数量的导弹绝非易事。据报道，负责生产的洛克希德·马丁公司今年有望生产超过600枚“爱国者”拦截导弹，这是该公司首次达到这一产能水平，但相对于不断扩大的需求缺口可谓杯水车薪。

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle Eastern crises have exposed the growing fatigue of America's long-relied traditional defense systems in real combat scenarios. What was meant to demonstrate US military strength, the Patriot system, has now become a footnote to the US global strategic retrenchment. The most pressured Patriot forces are precisely bearing the brunt of the pressure emanating from the decline of US global hegemony. Analysts point out that an expanded Patriot force cannot support the Cold War-minded "global missile defense dome" envisioned by the US.

在经历了俄乌冲突和中东冲突之后，可以看出，美国长期以来赖以自诩的传统防御体系在实战中尽显疲态。本应彰显美军实力的“爱国者”系统，如今却成为美国全球战略收缩的注脚。压力最大的“爱国者”部队，承受的恰恰是由美全球霸权衰落传导而来的压力。分析人士指出，一支扩编的“爱国者”部队，支撑不起充满冷战思维的美式“全球防空穹顶”。