AMK Mapping, an X account specializing in open-source intelligence on warfare, today posted a video showing an air defense missile, apparently from a Patriot system, flying low in an arc and diving shortly after launching.
An explosion erupted afterward; it remains unclear whether the missile intercepted its target or struck a structure on the ground.
A missile, suspected to be from a Patriot system, falls into a residential area in a video released on 9/3. Video: X/AMK Mapping
The Drop Site X account, which tracks conflict information in the Middle East, suggested the projectile targeted an Iranian drone heading towards a facility of the Bahrain National Oil Company (BAPCO). However, it failed to neutralize the target and instead crashed into a residential area.
Bahraini officials have not commented on reports of a Patriot missile crashing in the Sitra area. Earlier, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior announced that a drone attack from Iran had injured more than 30 people and damaged several homes on Sitra island, south of the capital Manama.
Patriot missiles have experienced multiple malfunctions or missed targets since the Middle East conflict escalated. On 28/2, a missile from a Patriot system in Qatar turned around and crashed to the ground immediately after launch.
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Countries in the Middle East region. Graphic: Guardian
The US and its allies and partners in the Middle East primarily use the Patriot air defense system with PAC-3 missiles, each costing more than 4 million USD. Experts worry that PAC-3 missile stockpiles in the Middle East could reach dangerously low levels if Iran continues its high-intensity attacks.
Beyond the high cost, the ability to produce PAC-3 missiles to replenish stockpiles also poses a challenge for the US and its allies. PAC-3 missiles are manufactured exclusively at Lockheed Martin's facility in the US, but the company is only expected to produce a total of 620 missiles throughout 2025.
Bloomberg reported last week, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the US would struggle to transfer enough Patriot missiles to the Middle East to sustain operations for 4 to 5 weeks, as then-President Donald Trump estimated. This raises the risk of some batteries becoming "empty," lacking combat ammunition.
Nguyen Tien (According to AP, AFP, Reuters)
