On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the US Division of Protection’s Army Cooperation Company introduced its plan to produce Ukraine’s HAWK Section III air protection system with upkeep and restore kits. This info was confirmed in a press launch from the division.
The supply consists of important sources for the upkeep and restore of varied elements of this anti-aircraft system. Moreover, the equipment incorporates technical paperwork and help companies provided by the US. A portion of the supply may even embody gear sourced from US Army depots. Main this operation is the Massachusetts-based RTX Company.
The HAWK anti-aircraft missile system has been a part of the US army because the Nineteen Sixties. All through its deployment, a number of enhancements have been made to the system. The Marine Corps was the final of the US armed forces to make use of the HAWK system, concluding their utilization in 2002.
The HAWK system serves as a medium-range advanced. It encompasses a most goal attain of 40 km when utilizing the upgraded missile system, with a minimal vary of simply 1 km. It’s able to hitting targets at a most top of 18 km, and as little as 0.03 km. Every HAWK battery setup contains between 6 and 9 launchers, a set of radar stations, command items, and related automobiles.
Spanish and American HAWKs
Not too long ago, it was revealed that the Spanish authorities provided the Ukrainian forces with one unit of the HAWK air protection system. An announcement on October 5, 2023, acknowledged that a further six launchers would quickly be delivered. Equally, in February 2023, the American authorities revealed the dispatch of two launchers from the identical system to Ukraine. The USA has, on a number of events, confirmed the allocation of anti-aircraft-guided missiles for the HAWK system to the Ukrainian armed forces.
The general public curiosity on this explicit Floor-to-Air Missile [SAM] system throughout the Ukrainian group was reignited in October of the earlier yr. A video was launched by the Air Drive Command demonstrating the usage of the HAWK system towards Russian targets. This publicly launched the American air protection system, almost a yr after preliminary studies of its set up and transition to Ukraine by the US and its allied nations.
The vast majority of the army assist packages offered to Ukraine, together with gear and weaponry, are overtly acknowledged by the donating governments. Nevertheless, the precise particulars relating to the amount and particular kinds of this assist are deliberately veiled as a result of safety concerns.
The system stays related
It’s necessary to notice, that a number of the gear that the US expects to amass can be sourced from Taiwan, particularly the Section III methods. This determination stems from their latest decommissioning, which ensures that the bought gear is in passable technical situation.
Due to this fact, the first part of the Ukrainian Hawk anti-aircraft system fleet will possible include third-generation items. These items obtained the mandatory upgrades within the late Nineteen Eighties and all through the early Nineties.
However its age, the Hawk system maintains relevance as a result of intensive upgrades made to the Section III model within the 90s. This overhaul noticed the whole alternative of the aspect base with digital counterparts and likewise included the addition of latest radars and command posts.
Swedish RBS 97
In 2023, a major improvement was issued by the Swedish authorities, saying the deployment of an unspecified variety of their enhanced Hawk methods, identified since 2006 as RBS 97. The Swedish variant contains two fireplace items, every that includes a pair of M-192 launchers, alongside a powerfully upgraded AN/MPQ-61 illumination radar.
Notably, every squad boasts its very personal Giraffe AMB 3D surveillance radar. This radar integrates with a command heart on the identical platform. This integration allows the hearth squads to function independently, releasing them from the constraints of a central battery.
The Hawk air protection system’s most vital benefit and key to its prowess is its excessive yield in manufacturing. Additional benefit can be considerable reservoir of unassigned anti-aircraft missiles saved in allied nations. This leads to the fast building of an intensive air protection community, providing the potential for a nearly infinite missile reserve to defend towards a wide range of drones and cruise missiles.
Effectivity
The third-generation anti-aircraft methods, whereas actually not outmatched by the Buk-M1 and S-125 by way of vary and altitude, nonetheless pose a formidable protection towards most airborne threats in Ukraine’s sky. Nonetheless, the relative age of those methods might be seen as a major drawback. Studies have even urged that a few of these transferred methods might not be totally operational.
There’s a considerable scarcity of sure elements for the Hawk’s SAM, and the excessive demand for these elements is worsened by pure system put on and tear. The truth that the warranties on these rockets have lengthy since expired solely provides to the issue. Even after meticulous examination and modification, the rockets are usually not resistant to points throughout launch. Each launch carries the inherent threat of missile harm, additional emphasizing the necessity for redundancy in these air protection modules.
Given their traits, utilizing these anti-aircraft methods as the primary line of protection is likely to be difficult. Nevertheless, they may impart a useful enhance and extension to present air defenses for cities and essential infrastructures positioned within the rear.
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