Armed Forces of Ukraine showcase the use of the Hawk air defense system

The Ukrainian Air Force has showcased the use of the MIM-23 Hawk air defense system.

The video footage of the anti-aircraft missile launches was released by the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk.

The system was used to shoot down air targets during the Russian shelling of Ukraine on the night of Monday, October 23.

The commander emphasizes that Western weapons have proven and continue to prove their effectiveness on the battlefield!

“The video shows the combat operation of the American HAWK air defense system last night, which, along with more modern air defense systems of the allies, is defending the Ukrainian sky!” the statement reads.

Mykola Oleshchuk thanked the defenders of Ukrainian skies for the current result of their combat work.

The first HAWK air defense systems arrived in Ukraine last year. They were donated by Spain as part of military aid.

In 2022, Spain promised to transfer six such American-made air defense systems to Ukraine.

Also, in early October 2023, the Spanish government announced plans to deliver six more M-192 launchers for MIM-23 Hawk air defense systems to Ukraine.

In July of this year, it was reported that the United States was buying decommissioned MIM-23 Hawk Phase III aircraft from Taiwan for Ukraine. However, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense did not confirm the information at the time.

MIM-23 HAWK air defense system

MIM-23 Hawk is a U.S. medium-range anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by Raytheon. It was adopted by the United States in 1960, and since then, it has undergone several modernization programs. It has three generations, namely: Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III.

The first version of the air defense system had a range of up to 25 km and an altitude of up to 14 km. After modernization, the maximum target interception range was increased to 40 km, while a maximum interception altitude became 18 km.