Profile
- Type
- Medium-range surface-to-air missile system
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- Cold War design, upgraded through Improved HAWK and Phase III configurations
Air Defense
MIM-23 HAWK
The MIM-23 HAWK is a U.S.-origin medium-range surface-to-air missile system built around radar acquisition, target illumination, and semi-active radar-homing missiles. Developed for mobile low- to medium-altitude air defense and repeatedly upgraded after its 1960 fielding, HAWK returned to operational relevance in Ukraine through donated launchers, refurbished missiles, and sustainment support for air-defense fire units.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Built by
- Raytheon Company
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- In service
- Initially fielded in 1960; Phase III upgrades fielded in the early 1990s
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Raytheon Company; Northrop for launcher, radar, and fire-control elements
- Designed
- 1950s
- Built by
- Raytheon Company
- Built in
- United States
- Unit cost
- About $250,000 per missile in Redstone Arsenal historical data
- Produced
- 1950s onward, with multiple upgrade and sustainment programs
- Number built
- Approximately 40,000 missiles reported in open reference sources
- Variants
- MIM-23A Basic HAWK, MIM-23B Improved HAWK, HAWK Phase III
Specifications
- Guidance
- Semi-active radar homing with ground-based acquisition and illumination radars
- Missile weight
- About 584 kg for MIM-23A; about 638 kg for MIM-23B and later variants
- Missile length
- About 5.08 m for MIM-23A; about 5.03 m for MIM-23B and later variants
- Engagement range
- MIM-23B envelope reported at roughly 1.5-40 km at high altitude
- Engagement altitude
- MIM-23B reported from about 60 m to 20 km
- Warhead
- Blast-fragmentation warhead; about 54 kg on MIM-23A and about 75 kg on MIM-23B
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Ukraine fields donated HAWK air-defense equipment as part of its layered defense against Russian air attacks, with U.S.-refurbished missiles paired with Spanish-provided launchers and later U.S.-approved Phase III sustainment support.
MIM-23 HAWK Images
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HAWK Missile SystemPublisher: U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal Historical Information | Note: Supports official background, role, fielding history, upgrade context, and Raytheon prime-contractor attribution. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Raytheon SAM-A-18/M3/MIM-23 HawkPublisher: Designation-Systems.Net | Note: Supports missile dimensions, guidance, warhead, range, altitude, variants, development, and open production-count context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20$400 Million Security Package Headed to UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports Ukraine conflict-use context: U.S. HAWK missiles were pledged for Ukraine and intended to pair with Spanish-provided HAWK launchers; also provides provenance for the defense media gallery images. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine - HAWK Phase III Missile System and SustainmentPublisher: Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context: HAWK Phase III sustainment, spare parts, overhaul, missile repair, support equipment, and training were approved for Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20