“Taiwan transferred its surplus batteries of anti-aircraft missile complexes HAWK to the Air Force of the Armed Forces. Forbes suggests that HAWK complexes can make up almost a third of Ukraine’s air defense forces. Source: Forbes citing former Pentagon official Tony Hu on the RJ War Room YouTube channel Details: Hu’s words confirm reports from 2023 hinting at a U.S.-brokered air defense deal between Taiwan and Ukraine.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Taiwan transferred its surplus batteries of anti-aircraft missile complexes HAWK to the Air Force of the Armed Forces. Forbes suggests that HAWK complexes can make up almost a third of Ukraine’s air defense forces.
Source: Forbes quoting former Pentagon official Tony Hu on the RJ War Room YouTube channel
Details: The publication writes that Hu’s words confirm reports from 2023 hinting at an air defense agreement between Taiwan and Ukraine brokered by the US.
Taiwanese MIM-23 Homing All-the-Way Killer missiles, as well as launchers and radars for them complement the HAWK complexes transferred to Ukraine by the USA and Spain.
In total, Ukraine can deploy up to 15 HAWK batteries manufactured by the Raytheon company, each of which will have at least six launchers with three missiles and corresponding radars.
Literally: “The Ukrainian Air Force entered the war in February 2022 armed with about 50 batteries of S-300 air defense systems and other ex-Soviet models – and has since replaced many of the remaining Soviet batteries with more modern Western systems, including including the American “Patriots”.
If we assume that the overall structure of Ukrainian air defenses remains approximately the same as before, after deducting combat losses and adding donated equipment, then HAWKs can make up almost a third of the force. Taiwan is not an active supporter of Ukraine’s military efforts, but its support is significant.”
Details: Forbes emphasized that the HAWK system is more than 60 years old. But it’s simple, reliable, highly mobile on towed launchers, easily upgraded, and works great against slow drones, cruise missiles, and manned aircraft. In addition, the HAWK missile is compatible with another, more modern air defense system used by Ukraine: NASAMS.
According to reports, as early as the summer of 2023, US officials were negotiating with their Taiwanese counterparts to buy from Taipei about a dozen HAWK batteries – a total of about a hundred launchers – which the Taiwanese armed forces began decommissioning back in 2015 and replacing with locally developed systems and imported air defense systems NASAMS.
At that time, the large party of HAWK promised to help Ukraine solve the impending crisis: the inevitable exhaustion of missile reserves for the former Soviet S-300 and Buk air defense systems.
The publication notes that since that time, Ukraine has diversified its air defense network, integrating a wide range of foreign missiles, launchers and radars.
Literally: “This diversification is key. The more different anti-aircraft missile systems Ukraine uses, the more different missile stocks and production lines it can use to equip those systems with spare missiles during near-daily Russian missile and drone strikes. Dozens of countries operate or have operated HAWK batteries .Ukraine should be able to obtain hundreds of missiles, with or without the direct participation of the United States.
The HAWK is not in the same class as Ukraine’s best Patriot air defense system, which has a range of up to 100 miles with an onboard radar station. The HAWK missile has a range of only about 30 miles.
The main disadvantage of the HAWK system is that its radar is sensitive to interference. It would help if Ukraine integrated the old missiles and launchers with the more advanced NASAMS radar system.”