{"slug":"patriot-vs-s-300","question":"Patriot vs S-300","answer":"The MIM-104 Patriot is the US/NATO standard air defense system, combat-proven in multiple wars with PAC-3 MSE interceptors. The S-300 is Russia's workhorse long-range SAM, widely exported but with a mixed combat record. Patriot has better proven performance; S-300 has longer theoretical range.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Patriot is combat-proven and continuously upgraded (PAC-3 MSE). S-300 has good specs on paper but an underwhelming combat record. Patriot has demonstrated kills against ballistic missiles; S-300 has not against a peer adversary.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Max Range","entityAValue":"160 km (PAC-3)","entityBValue":"200 km","winner":"b"},{"label":"Combat Proven","entityAValue":"Extensively (3+ wars)","entityBValue":"Limited/poor results","winner":"a"},{"label":"Hit-to-Kill","entityAValue":"Yes (PAC-3 MSE)","entityBValue":"Proximity fuse","winner":"a"},{"label":"Cost per Battery","entityAValue":"$1B+","entityBValue":"$300M","winner":"b"},{"label":"Users","entityAValue":"18 nations (NATO)","entityBValue":"20+ nations (Russia/China bloc)","winner":"tie"}],"winner":{"slug":"s-300","name":"S-300 (PMU-2)"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"MIM-104 Patriot","slug":"patriot-missile","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/patriot-missile","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/patriot-missile"},{"name":"S-300 (PMU-2)","slug":"s-300","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/s-300","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/s-300"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Does Iran have S-300?","answer":"Yes. Iran received S-300PMU-2 systems from Russia in 2016 after years of delays. They form a key part of Iran's air defense around nuclear facilities. Their effectiveness against Israeli F-35s and US B-2s is untested."},{"question":"Which performed better in combat?","answer":"Patriot has a much better combat record, especially with PAC-3 interceptors in Ukraine and the Middle East. S-300 systems in Syria failed to prevent Israeli strikes, though Syria's crews may have been poorly trained."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/patriot-vs-s-300","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/patriot-vs-s-300), The MIM-104 Patriot is the US/NATO standard air defense system, combat-proven in multiple wars with PAC-3 MSE interceptors. The S-300 is Russia's workhorse long-range SAM, widely exported but with a m","dateModified":"2026-03-21T00:00:00.000Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/patriot-vs-s-300","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/patriot-vs-s-300","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/patriot-vs-s-300","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/patriot-vs-s-300#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/patriot-vs-s-300","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Patriot vs S-300","reviewBody":"The MIM-104 Patriot is the US/NATO standard air defense system, combat-proven in multiple wars with PAC-3 MSE interceptors. The S-300 is Russia's workhorse long-range SAM, widely exported but with a mixed combat record. Patriot has better proven performance; S-300 has longer theoretical range.","datePublished":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/patriot-vs-s-300","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/patriot-vs-s-300","name":"Patriot vs S-300","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}