The Pentagon presented the $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine

9 May, 2023 American MIM-23 HAWK anti-aircraft missile system. Photo from open sources The U.S.

Department of Defense announced a new £1.2 billion military aid package to Ukraine. The news was published on the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense.

The new military aid package is supposed to bolster air defense and sustain the Ukrainian army's artillery ammunition needs. This package is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). Unlike Presidential Drawdown authority (PDA), which Pentagon has continued to leverage to deliver equipment to Ukraine from DoD stocks at a historic pace, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry or partners.

This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine. The capabilities in the new package include:

  • Additional air defense systems and munitions;
  • Equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles, and radars with - - Ukraine's air defense systems;
  • Ammunition for counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems;
  • 155mm artillery rounds;
  • Commercial satellite imagery services;
  • Support for training, maintenance, and sustainment activities.

Militarnyi previously reported that the new package of military aid to Ukraine would include HAWK air defense systems and air defense system ammunition. The decision comes as the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare to launch an offensive against Russian invasion forces, and due to the constant need for air defense equipment, as Russia continues attacking with kamikaze drones and missiles of various types.

MIM-23 HAWK

MIM-23 Hawk is an American medium-range anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by Raytheon.

It was developed in 1960, and since then, it has undergone several modernization programs. The system was initially designed to destroy aircraft and later upgraded to intercept missiles. The first versions of the system had a range of 25 km for aerial targets and an altitude of 14 km.

After modernization, the maximum target interception range was increased to 40 km with a maximum interception altitude of 18 km.

Launch of a missile from the Hawk air defense system. Photo from open sources

The system became widely used globally and was the main medium-range air defense system before the deployment of the MIM-104 Patriot SAM system. In total, about 40,000 missiles for this air defense system type were produced across the world.

Ukraine has a chance to obtain a large number of air defense systems of this type, given that they were manufactured not only in the USA but also in other countries under license and are currently being decommissioned.

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