I was in the U.S. Army and worked with the Hawk system for 5 years. It is fully capable of performing the task. It can be easily integrated into any needed combat control systems. The last upgrade i had the opportunity to work with was in 1990. It was referred to as Phase 3 Hawk, just before our deployment to Desert Storm. This is a system that can get the job done no problem.

When you are dealing with cheap drones that cause significant damage, the ability to use Hawk missiles that would otherwise just sit and rust away without ever being used, its completely sensible to send them. Other than the cost of transportation it costs nothing, let it go do what it was meant to do. The improved Hawk versions are roughly similar in capability to the earlier and midlife upgrade Buk systems the Russians/Ukrainians use, and they've been doing a quite capable job so far during the war.

I mean, the HAWK is 60’s tech. Russia is deploying 60’s hardware to combat Ukraine thanks to losses. So, it’s smoking Reds as it was designed to do.

There's been analysts pointing out there's a huge amount of US stock that the US will never want to use, but can work for Ukraine. The Iranian drones don't seem to need expensive missiles, bullets appear to suffice.

Cheaper to give it away rather than store and ultimately dismantle it

Some of the last variants of the HAWK used the same radar as on NASAMs which would theoretically make it possible to integrate them with that system. The Ukrainians seem expert in adapting whatever system they get their hands on into their existing force structure, this will probably be no different. The HAWK has been tried and tested for decades and Russian weapons are far from cutting edge in many cases. It makes sense to use a system designed to counter the kind of threat Russia still presents in the air.

I’m glad you mentioned the fact that hawk was upgraded, pretty sure all American HAWKs were upgraded to IHAWK before deactivation, and Germany was still using HAWK till at least 2004. Anything at this point is better than nothing.

Audie Murphy wasn't just "a decorated soldier of WW2," he was the most decorated soldier of WW2. He starred in the film about his own experience, "To Hell and Back," and had a successful film career making Westerns in the 1950s and 60s.

It doesn't need to be new, it just needs to work.

Hawk is still a decent system that will kill when needed, it has seen action in multiple conflicts and proved itself as well and continues to be upgraded and used by many countries.

I did'nt know the US still had HAWK in storage after the USMC retired them. They are certainly capable of taking on Kaliber and bigger drones. So makes sense to hand them over. I think Spain is sending some too.

1:17 Audie Murphy received every military combat award for valor available from the United States Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism.

They use the Gepard out of the 70s very successfully for airdefense. They are very helpful especially for the cheap drones.

I’ve never liked giving out top of line stuff to countries where it could get easily compromised; sending or selling older second/third hand equipment like this is what I’d rather see. HAWK, TOW, Dragon……all still viable weapons systems that we have in storage, even though they are older systems.

HAWK was and is to this Day still one of the Baddest ADA Systems ever. Spent 12 years as HAWKer I despised the Patriot at the time, was told they wanted me to run Patriots I said NO way went and became an 11B instead.. Love that system to this day!! If it flies it dies,

Still a capable system. I wonder if the launcher/missiles can be integrated into a NASAM system? Giving you the choice of using the AMRAAM or the HAWK missile?

I am always amazed at people saying that older kit is useless, this is NOT always the case. For certain roles older equipment can fill the bill. M14 rifles were requested by US troops in the use recently in the middle east as sniper rifles.

Audie Murphy won the Medal of Honor and is one of the most decorated combat soldiers in the history of the United States. His grave at Arlington is the 2nd most visited next to President Kennedy's. He also made movies.

They work fine to be used and then follow up with a modern missile. This allows the Russians to waste their anti- missile systems and smash em. Plus anything is better then nothing. But even thou it’s old tech they are highly reliable and simple to use. I’m retired Air Force Officer

For Ukraine, its all about layers of AA defense covering points of entry and strategically important targets. The Hawk will do great in adding one of these layers effectively.

We must have plenty of old Rapiers that would be a good option for protecting power stations and the like?

Just a note South Korea is/has become one of Poland's biggest weapons suppliers with tanks, spg and light fighters on top of the MLRS.

S-300 is also from the 60s

Regardless of whether the Hawk is a cutting edge missile it would likely be effective against cruise missiles and drones. It would also force any orc aircraft to take it into flight planning consideration, making them less effective.

I've actually wondered why we aren't seeing more of this. The Ukrainians are UNDERGUNNED and can use all the help they can get. Same goes for the huge numbers of 105MM towable field howitzers.

I think an important lesson is being learned about high tech weapons - expensive, complicated to build, store and transport - and an extended war in which they run out rather quickly. I think we need layers of weapons systems, layers in the sense of expense, complexity, and manufacturability at high rates. My reading of war shows that many times quantity is better than quality, the many overwhelming the few.

I was a 16E(Command and Control crewman) then 24G(ICC and continuous wave radar tech) and then 24R (IHAWK master mechanic). The missiles themselves are not the issue, but the associated radar and command and control systems, as well as some logistical issues like radar parts, as well as missile delivery and assembly and loaded onto the launchers. I don't know what overarching Air Defense Command and Control Ukraine has - we had challenges getting IHAWK integrated with Air Force and USMC because everyone used different data link systems. However; a IHAWK unit can operate independently, guided by whatever ROE is in effect. IHAWK had IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) capability - air breathing threats have to 'squawk' the correct IFF to avoid being engaged. Drones do not have that ability. The Hawk missile system can see targets out to 80 Km (with the HIPAR), but usually engages around 40-60 Km. It also has the ability to engage super-short range targets, usually pop-up targets that employ terrain-following navigation. While the system is highly mobile, it does take some training to select an appropriate location, emplace the system, get it to battle stations, and acquire/engage targets. Then you gotta beat feet and march order the equipment and get to another location to keep the enemy from zeroing in on you.

Send them all!!👍🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🤝🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

other western nations such as Spain have upgraded I-HAWK missile batteries in their inventory which will be sent to Ukraine

In the 80's I was a Chaparral crewman. We were SHORAD, short range air defense. Chaparral fired a sidewinder missile and it was a capable system. Downside was, once you killed an aircraft, his wingman was going to likely be looking for you. Hawk was our medium range compatriot on the battlefield. Can't remember what they used for long range, maybe Hawk was it. I remember going up on top of the Sam ship building, tallest building in Seoul, and seeing Hawk missile launchers on top of buildings back then.

40,000 sounds like a comforting number to me.

Great stuff!

what kind of question is this?? here let me tell you... BECAUSE ITS OLD! and it cost money to store/maintain it, im not sure if anyone else has caught on but the US is unloading about to expire and old military tech in ukraine, freeing up storage/maintance money

Poland and South Korea have a pretty good relationship going at the moment. In August of 2022, Poland signed a $5.76 billion contract with SK to import tanks and howitzers, and is South Korea's largest ever arms deal.

Lots and lots and lots of warehouses are being emptied these days.

Sweden should have a bunch of updated Hawk thag was replaced by Patriot just recently

I’m sure Ukraine would be very grateful to receive these. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦❤️‍🩹🇺🇦

I’ve always thought , you can’t build the new stuff as fast as the old .

Another story I was reading said they have to come out of storage, and it will take some time to get them fully operational. But if, in fact, they are ready to go right now, that would make more sense.

He’s not just decorated war hero he’s got the most decorated war hero

Well lets be honest. You don't want to send the top of the line equipment to Ukraine because no matter how much confidence we have in the UA military, theres a chance it could get captured by the Russians.

I feel barrage balloons with fishing nets could be effective against the Shahed type drones. Now there's some really old hardware.

Great idea!

Great reader, nice job sir

first K2 main battle tank, and then now Chunmu ... Poland is making sure "that" wont ever happen to them ever again I forgot to mention new Apache long bow gunships

Because some of the Sov…I mean Russian equipment is slightly newer in years but similar in tech.

Does it go where you want to, when you want it, and goes bang as you want it to? Is it available? Yes please! How many have you got?

Honest question, what happened to all the ARM from Tornado? I thought they were retired in 2013 or so, if Hawks are in storage those couple of hundred should have been kept in storage as well....?

Send them everything they don’t need

IT make sense if they work use them and will save money on storing them once they have gone they will not be making anymore!!

2:50 That Hollywood actor, the decorated war hero Audie Murphy (1924-1971) was THE most decorated soldier in US history, winning 24 medals from the Congressional Medal of Honor down.

Audie Murphy was a ' MOH ' recipient and one of the most highly decorated members of the US military. ... Get it right or don't do it at all.

Things that are old are still usable, just not when compared to what we have today. The Hawk is a very good system!

Hawk is far superior to most systems used by Russia. Don’t worry about how effective it will be. Hawk is very good system.

Brilliant idea, they need equipment now, not when the Country is a pile of rubble. Audie Murphy was the highest decorated US soldier in WW2 and I don´t think he was much over 20!

Send it!

Murphy was America's most decorated soldier.

This makes perfect sense. If the US has piles of equipment that we will never use, but can still be useful in Ukraine then sending them to Ukraine makes a lot of sense. If these older systems can be effectively used against Iranian drones, allowing Ukraine to save their newer, and more expensive, missiles for whatever Russia has left of their precision missiles and aircraft, then that is a huge win.

Looks badass

In Forces News we trust

Send all weapons before they expire 😎👍

System works fine against aircraft and cruise missiles, if it down's Russian kit Ukraine won't care how old it is.

Seems to do very well what it says on the tin 👍

I wonder if we still have the NOAH control system for that in storage here in Norway? (It was the limits of NOAH that directly led to the design of the NASAMS system, and NASAMS1 could actually fire HAWK missiles)

What many don't realise is that it takes weeks or months t build these advanced weapons. An American main battle tank (1) takes about 5 months to be ready to go to war and they haven't built a new on since 1996. They just refurbish older ones. We have ben using stocks and its doubtful replacement orders have been sufficient to replace the ones sent or continue to fund the Ukraine war. Russia is in an even worse position - they are shipping T62 tanks to the front and building ore because they are relatively quick and easy to build. Defence strategy was largely predicated on short, sharp intense wars of precison weapons - Russia has shown that old fashioned war is still possible and extremely costly, especially when you don't full commit.

If it flies, floats or moves on land and has "Z" or "V" on it, Ukrainian warriors have a ready use for these systems. The more the merrier.

Audy Murphy is a legitimate card carrying badass and an American hero.

I've seen many hawk missiles in the Negev desert when I visited Isreal a few years ago as a tourist.

The Hawk wans a Turd in Vietnam. Since the NVA did not venture across the DMZ, they sat unused. However in the Ukraine, they just might add a system to the Ukrainian Defense. They won't be much good against the helicopters but for planes, drones, and missiles that fly high, they should fit the need. With these systems should come additional ManPads and Stingers for the warfighters.

I am amazed the US still has the stock, Spain already blew me away. On the other hand: If it worked against kit used untio the 80ies and 90ies and the Russians are down to that, empty all arsenals please. All old stuff must go (said that months ago for AGM-65 on trainers, TOW obviously etc., but did not expect this one). What took them so long? They should have started training them even before February 24th and turn them over as soon as they stopped the advance on Kyiv...

Good way for getting rid of old inventory

Still deadly

I remember getting collectable cards in shredded wheat cereal with that aa missile system shown.

I was trained as a HAWK missile tech way back in the sixties and think highly of the system. It must be far better today.

Audie Murphy, a decorated WWII soldier? Wow, what an understatement. By age 19, he was THE MOST DECORATED US SOLDIER OF WWII, had been promoted from Private, through the ranks and received a battlefield commission, served through North Africa and Italy.

Send them, they can make a difference for Ukraine instead of sitting in a warehouse somewhere

They are still in use as they have been continuously updated.

Improved Hawk is deadly.

Its amazing how much of this is just hanging about in warehouses....

Greece might be a good source of Hawk missiles as well.

Was that orange target drone a Aussie Jindavic , great export plane never landed ( in one piece)

As long they are deadly they work

These are very lethal and they cost a mere $250,000 each where as a Patriot missiles cost over a million each. Ww should keep them in production and they could be used effectively in Korea or any other engagement and they ate cost effective and very lethal.

It will be interesting in seeing the Hawk v. Iskandar contest.

Makes perfect sense, if they still work you might as well use them. Better than letting them rust away in storage.

It actually doesn't matter if it's extremely old school weapons as long they get the job done.

I think you need to think more on what you are saying about military equipment, this is a once over lightly on a very complex subject. Just because missile systems are being improved and upgraded does not mean they are unusable even in the original configuration. How about using the regulus?

Desperation shows.

It is still in Service in Sweden for example (robot 97)

I still have the toy based on this.

What does that last point about countries being “careful” even mean??🤨

they should also send those PIVADS thingys along with the hawks

I don't think Ukraine doesn't want obsolete stuff but I guess it's away to clear inventory.

My father was with a hawk middle outfit in west Germany in 1962.

Hawk has shown it's capabilities for a very long time.

Literally why not. US is happy when they throw out old supplies and Ukraine is happy when they get more weapons.

Just empty them out of the storage.

Giving away old stock is nothing new, systems, weapons, vehicles you will never use and have to pay to store safely. This ticks all the boxes and saves a lot of money.

They not bad at all .

Those loook like the Phoenix missile to me