MIM-104F PAC 3 Patriot / AN/MPQ-53 (USA)
United States Army

MIM-104F PAC 3 Patriot
Operator: 11th Air Defense Artillery
Location: Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
Timeframe: 1996

Personal Interest:
This model represents a typical Patriot missile battery used by the US Army in 1996. The Army provided air defense for Allied bases near Riyadh during Operation Southern Watch, which included Eskan Village and Prince Sultan Air Base. The PAC 3 variant was brought to the theater as soon as it was available, to counter the ballistic missile threat from Iraq and other belligerent countries in the region, particularly Yemen and Iran.