Focus: How the 60-year-old US-made MIM-23 Hawk missile system still meets Ukraine’s air defense needs in 2025.

On July 23, 2025, the U.S. Department of State approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Ukraine for the MIM-23 HAWK Phase III missile system and its sustainment, with an estimated value of $172 million. The proposed sale includes a range of support articles and services for the HAWK air defense fire units, such as five-ton cargo trucks, HAWK system spare parts, missile repair components for the MIM-23, refurbishment and overhaul of system elements, tool kits, test equipment, technical documentation, storage containers for spare parts, and other logistical components. Additionally, it includes training and technical assistance to be provided by both U.S. Government and contractor personnel.
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The HAWK system excels at engaging medium-altitude, relatively slow-moving targets and is particularly effective at detecting threats flying at low altitudes, sometimes below 150 meters, giving it an advantage against Russian cruise missiles and loitering drones, which make up the majority of threats faced by Ukraine. (Picture source: Dutch MoD)

The HAWK Phase III upgrade, developed from 1983 and fielded in 1989, was the final major modernization of the MIM‑23 HAWK medium-range surface-to-air missile system, which was first deployed in 1959. It introduced fully digital command and control through a unified Battery Command Post, replacing older components. The radar suite was overhauled with the AN/MPQ‑62 continuous wave radar capable of single-scan range and velocity detection, and the AN/MPQ‑61 illuminator radar enabled Low-Altitude Simultaneous HAWK Engagement (LASHE), allowing up to twelve targets to be tracked simultaneously. The Range Only Radar was removed due to improved signal processing. Missile reliability and lethality were also enhanced, and all upgrades focused on improving response time, target tracking, and resilience in electronic warfare environments, marking a significant advancement over previous versions.

Despite being first introduced in 1959, the MIM-23 HAWK ("Homing All the Way Killer") system remains one of the most effective Ukrainian air defense assets currently in service against Russian aerial threats. Ukrainian forces began operating the system in late 2022 and early 2023, following donations of HAWK Phase III and Improved HAWK units by the United States, Spain, and other partners. Since then, the system has recorded significant operational success. According to statements from the Ukrainian Air Force, one HAWK battery intercepted at least 14 Russian cruise missiles, mostly Kh-59 variants and one Kalibr, and over 40 Iranian-designed Shahed-type loitering drones. In one case, a single launcher downed three cruise missiles with three consecutive launches during a wave of strikes. Video footage released by the Ukrainian military command corroborated these reports, highlighting a perfect launch-to-kill ratio during some attacks. These results demonstrate not only the system’s combat relevance but also the level of effectiveness of Ukrainian crews in deploying Western systems to protect their airspace and critical infrastructures.

One of the core reasons for the HAWK’s effectiveness in Ukraine lies in its radar and fire control architecture. The Phase III upgrade introduced significant enhancements, including the AN/MPQ‑62 continuous-wave acquisition radar capable of detecting low-flying targets, and the AN/MPQ‑61 high-power illuminator radar with Low-Altitude Simultaneous HAWK Engagement (LASHE) capabilities. These allow the system to detect and engage multiple targets simultaneously, even in cluttered and contested electromagnetic environments. Unlike earlier variants that relied on the now-retired range-only radar, the Phase III HAWK can compute detection and tracking solutions within a single radar scan. Combined with ECCM enhancements and digital fire control, this architecture enables effective operation against threats such as Shahed drones and Kh-series cruise missiles flying below 150 meters, a regime where many high-end systems struggle. These radars, combined with command posts like the Battery Command Post and Platoon Command Post, form an integrated C2 network capable of coordinating multiple simultaneous interceptions under heavy electronic warfare pressure.

The missile component of the HAWK system also contributes significantly to its operational reliability. The MIM-23B Improved HAWK missile features a dual-thrust solid-propellant rocket motor, allowing speeds up to approximately Mach 2.4. It carries a 75-kilogram high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead equipped with both proximity and impact fuzes, optimized to destroy rather than merely disable targets. The missile’s guidance system relies on semi-active radar homing, utilizing ground-based illumination radars to steer toward targets. Its effective engagement envelope ranges from about 1.5 kilometers up to 40 kilometers in range and up to 18 kilometers in altitude, making it especially suitable for medium-range air defense against cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and low-altitude fixed-wing aircraft. Analysts estimate that the Phase III variant reaches a hit probability of up to 85 percent, far superior to the 56 percent rate attributed to early 1960s versions. This level of lethality and precision has been validated by Ukrainian operators who, in direct combat conditions, achieved repeated kills against incoming Russian ordnance.

Mobility and deployability remain additional advantages of the HAWK system in the Ukrainian context. Although the system is not based on a tracked platform, its trailer-mounted components allow for rapid repositioning using standard logistics vehicles. A complete HAWK battery typically includes one pulse acquisition radar, one continuous-wave radar, two high-power illuminators, and six to nine M192 launcher units. Each launcher carries up to three ready-to-fire missiles, giving a full battery a capacity of up to 18 missiles on standby. The system can become operational within approximately 30 minutes and recover within ten minutes, facilitating flexible deployment across multiple sectors. This mobility has been leveraged by Ukrainian forces to protect critical infrastructure, repositioning batteries according to threat assessments and incoming attack vectors. Additionally, the battery command infrastructure supports distributed fire control, making the system more resilient to strikes targeting centralized nodes.

A key factor in the continued use of the HAWK system is its cost-effectiveness and logistical viability compared to high-end systems like Patriot or SAMP/T. These more advanced solutions are expensive, limited in number, and typically reserved for defending high-value targets. By contrast, the HAWK system uses relatively inexpensive interceptors, requires fewer specialized maintenance procedures, and can be deployed more widely across the country. This allows Ukraine to establish broader coverage against medium-range threats while reserving more sophisticated systems for long-range or ballistic missile defense. Additionally, its affordability permits integration into Ukraine’s growing air defense architecture, which increasingly includes a mix of high-end Western platforms and locally developed systems, including AI-powered gun turrets and kamikaze drone interceptors. Despite its age, the MIM-23 HAWK remains accessible thanks to large stockpiles from the US and European retirement. Over 40,000 missiles were manufactured over decades, and multiple countries, including Spain and the U.S., can refurbish and deliver them without degrading their own defense readiness. Therefore, maintaining these systems is far cheaper than high-end alternatives: spare parts, logistics, and missiles are readily available, allowing broader deployment without straining Ukraine’s or its allies’ budgets.