Spain sends revitalized cold war air defence to support Ukraine
According to the Spanish Ministry of Defence, another battery of the MIM-23 HAWK system will be sent to Ukraine. We explain why, despite its age, this is a significant aid for Ukraine.
Spanish Ministry of Defence boasted about training 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers. It informed us that in September, another battery of the MIM-23 HAWK air defence and anti-missile system will become operational in Ukraine.
It is also worth noting that the Spanish "Hawks" are much more effective than the versions supplied by the USA, as they were modernised in 2021 with advanced AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radars and a digital fire control system. Nevertheless, they still offer significantly fewer capabilities than the S-300, Patriot, or SAMP/T systems, but they remain a helpful tool in times of shortage.
MIM-23 HAWK from Spain — a relic from the Cold War with modifications
The MIM-23 HAWK air defence system was introduced into service in the US Army in 1960 and quickly spread among the nations of the free world. Spain acquired its systems during the first modernisation phase from 1979 to 1981 (PIP—Product Improvement Plan).
The core of the MIM-23 HAWK system is now an outdated guidance system that requires continuous illumination of the target by the fire control radar until impact. This is because the missile only has a receiver for radar signals, while the emitter is the battery's fire control radar.
In modern systems, the radars are also mounted on the missiles, and the primary battery radar guides the launched missiles only in the initial phase of flight until they can "lock on" to the target themselves. This allows protection against multiple targets simultaneously and facilitates action against an opponent with SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defences) capabilities.
However, with the Spanish battery already operating in Ukraine, the digital fire control system and modern radars significantly ease tackling challenging targets such as cruise missiles or drones. These "Hawks" also have some capabilities to counter ballistic missiles that are unavailable to short-range systems like NASAMS.
Depending on the missiles used, the Spanish "Hawks" can counter targets at up to 25 kilometres and an altitude of 14,000 metres or targets at a distance of 40 kilometres and an altitude of up to 18,000 metres. In the latter's case, particularly those produced since 1995, a 54-kilogram (119-pound) warhead was modernised to counter ballistic missiles. The missiles have a top speed of Mach 2.4 (818 metres/second) and are launched from towed or self-propelled launchers that hold three rockets.
