“I was a Patriot missile Army Officer during my career in the Army. This seems like an expensive way to shoot down cheap drones unless they will use it to shoot down Russian cruise missiles.”
Very expensive way indeed.
Conversely, given my experiences, Patriot systems are sophisticated systems that require months of proper training. Ukrainians haven’t been trained to operate these systems as far as I know. If the US is sending these systems to Ukraine, then they are probably sending US/NATO troops (i.e.: as PMC Mercs) to operate them as well. Making this an outright US/NATO escalation. Yes?
I believe I read the training for the Ukes is going on in Germany but there is no actual firing range for Patriot in Germany. We had to send our missile guys to Crete where there is a NATO missile firing range each year for their practice with Chaparral, Hawk and Herc. Patriot is not a simple system so it will take time to get these guys trained and then for them to become trainers themselves back in their country.