SEBASTIAN APEL/U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, VIA AP
In this image released by the U.S. Department of Defense, German soldiers assigned to Surface Air and Missile Defense Wing 1, fire the Patriot weapons system at the NATO Missile Firing Installation, in Chania, Greece, on Nov. 8, 2017. Patriot missile systems have long been a hot ticket item for the U.S. and allies in contested areas of the world as a coveted shield against incoming missiles. In Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific, they guard against potential strikes from Iran, Somalia and North Korea. So it was a critical turning point when news broke this week that the U.S. has agreed to send a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine.