Written off 20 years ago: US wants to supply Kyiv with obsolete Hawk air defense systems

Photo: © commons.wikimedia.org

The Pentagon is considering the possibility of delivering the MIM-23 Hawk to Ukraine. This is an American anti-aircraft missile system designed to hit targets at a distance of up to 35 kilometers. Initially, the air defense system was developed to intercept aircraft, but later it was finalized to intercept missiles. The complex was adopted by the US Army in 1960, and in 2002 the US military finally stopped using the Hawk due to its obsolescence. What shortcomings were identified during the operation of the air defense system? And will the supply of this complex help Ukraine? We tell in the material REN TV.

Hawk deliveries to Ukraine

Ukraine may receive American Hawk anti-aircraft missile systems as part of military assistance. The Pentagon is already studying the possibility of such supplies, Reuters reported, citing US officials.

Photo: © commons.wikimedia.org/Los688

It is noted that the United States responded to repeated requests from Kyiv to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense against the background of the use of drones and cruise missiles by Russia. The complexes will be transferred under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) scheme. This means that weapons can be sent without congressional approval in response to an emergency.
How many complexes are planned to be delivered and in what time frame is not reported. Agency sources suggest that at first the Pentagon will send only anti-aircraft missiles to Kyiv, since the number of working launchers in American warehouses is still unknown. It is specified that the air defense systems have been lying idle for decades.

Reuters interlocutors also noted that the Hawk systems are the predecessors of the Patriot missile defense system, which Washington does not yet plan to supply to Kyiv.

In October 2022, it also became known that the Hawk air defense system was promised to Ukraine by Spain. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Madrid will send four such complexes to Kyiv. At the same time, in return, Spain will receive more modern air defense systems supplied by Germany, France and the United States.

Photo: © commons.wikimedia.org/Pi3.124

History of Hawk

The design of the complex began in the USA in 1952. Two years later, the United States Army signed contracts with Northrop to create a launcher, radar and fire control system, and with Raytheon to create an anti-aircraft guided missile for the new complex. It was one of the first anti-aircraft missile systems capable of fighting low-altitude targets. The first experimental sample of the rocket was released in 1956, full-scale tests of the system began the following year. In 1959, the serial production of the complex began, and in 1960 it was adopted by the American army.

Initially, the complex was developed to destroy aircraft, but later it was modified to intercept missiles. Since 1960, the Hawk has been repeatedly upgraded, which did not allow it to become very outdated. However, in 1994, the US Army replaced the complex with the Patriot air defense system, and in 2002 the Marine Corps changed it to the Stinger portable air defense systems.

Anti-aircraft missile systems were supplied to 25 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. In total, several hundred sets of air defense systems and about 40 thousand missiles of several modifications were manufactured.

How is the air defense system

The anti-aircraft missile system included a MIM-23 guided missile, a self-propelled launcher, radar stations for detecting and illuminating targets, a radar rangefinder, a control post and a battery command post. In addition, the Hawk calculation had transport and loading vehicles of various models.

The aerodynamic appearance of the MIM-23 rocket was formed in the early stages of the project and has not undergone major changes since then. The guided missile was equipped with a solid-propellant engine, in the tail section there were X-shaped wings with a span of 1.2 meters with rudders across the entire width of the trailing edge.

Photo: © commons.wikimedia.org

To monitor the airspace and detect targets, the AN / MPQ-50 radar station was included in the air defense system. During one of the first upgrades, the AN / MPQ-55 low-altitude target detection radar was also introduced. Both stations were equipped with antenna rotation synchronization systems and made it possible to eliminate all “dead zones” around the radar position.

Combat use of the complex

US troops never had to use the Hawk to destroy enemy aircraft or helicopters. But the complex was actively used in armed conflicts on the territory of other countries. The combat debut of the air defense system took place during the Six Day War in the Middle East in June 1967. During the fighting in 1969-1970 in the territories liberated by Israel, four Egyptian Su-7s, four MiG-17s, three MiG-21s and one Il-28 were shot down with the help of the Hawk.

In addition, the complex was used:

  • in 1970 – Operation “Caucasus” to transfer Soviet troops to Egypt;
  • in 1973 – the Yom Kippur War between a coalition of Arab states and Israel;
  • in 1981 – the Iran-Iraq war;
  • in 1982 – the Lebanese war;
  • in 1987 – a military clash between the armed forces of Chad and Libya;
  • in 2020 – the Civil War in Libya.

Photo: © commons.wikimedia.org/Los688

Tactical and technical characteristics of air defense systems

  • starting weight – 638 kg;
  • target engagement range – up to 35 km;
  • target engagement height – up to 18 km;
  • maximum speed – 500 m / s;
  • guidance system – semi-active, monopulse, continuous radiation, X-band;
  • warhead weight – 74 kg;
  • warhead type – high-explosive fragmentation;
  • rocket length – 5.03 m;
  • rocket body diameter – 0.37 m.

Russian complexes will “crush” Hawk

Aitech Bizhev, ex-Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force for the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS, believes that even if Hawk is delivered to Ukraine, Russian systems will “crush” them.

“This is an old medium-range complex. Our modern electronic warfare systems will “crush” it, and it will not see anything. Its delivery will not solve the problem, “ – told in conversation With “Izvestia” Bizhev.

According to the expert, the main problem with the supply of weapons to Ukraine is that they are developed by different manufacturers and are not integrated into a single information system and a single control system. In addition, it takes a certain amount of time to retrain the calculations to work with foreign systems.

Photo: © commons.wikimedia.org/Dirk1981

“Ukraine was integrated into our air defense system, they had our systems,” – explained the specialist.

Disadvantages of the American complex

The imperfection of the Hawk component base and technologies affected the real capabilities of the complex. So, the basic version of the air defense system could simultaneously attack only one target, which negatively affected its combat capabilities. In addition, a small resource of electronics was a serious problem. For some modules that used vacuum tubes, the MTBF did not exceed 40–45 hours.

Even the latest Hawk modifications could not fully meet modern requirements – the complex is clearly outdated and needs to be replaced. Following the United States, many European countries also decommissioned this air defense system and put into service new systems with improved performance.

Source: Ren

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest