Missile MIM-23 Hawk

Development of this medium-range surface-to-air missile system began in 1952 to meet a requirement for a mobile air defense platform. It was intended to complement heavier systems by offering increased mobility and improved performance against low-altitude targets. The first test flight occurred in June 1956, and the system entered service with the United States Army in 1959.

The missile utilizes a solid-fuel rocket motor featuring both boost and sustain phases. Guidance is provided by a continuous wave semi-active radar homing seeker. The system transitioned from vacuum tube electronics to solid-state components during successive upgrade programs. Target acquisition and engagement are managed through a suite of radars, including pulse acquisition for high altitudes and continuous wave acquisition for low-altitude detection. Later iterations integrated 3D phased array radars and digital data processing to handle saturation attacks. The primary payload is a high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead. Initial models used a warhead producing small fragments, while subsequent versions introduced a larger warhead with a wider fragmentation pattern. Modifications for tactical ballistic missile defense incorporated a warhead designed to produce fragments with increased mass and revised fuzing. Electronic counter-countermeasures were integrated to maintain effectiveness in high-clutter and jammed environments.

The system has been widely exported and remains in service with several nations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. While the United States never utilized the system in combat before its retirement, other operators have employed it in multiple conflicts. Israel recorded the first combat kill with the system in 1967 when it intercepted a Dassault MD.450. During the War of Attrition and the Iran-Iraq War, the missile was used extensively, with Iranian forces claiming dozens of Iraqi aircraft destroyed. Iranian sites also recorded friendly fire incidents involving F-14 and F-5 aircraft. In 1987, French forces operating in Chad used the system to down a Libyan Tu-22 bomber. Kuwaiti batteries engaged Iraqi aircraft during the 1990 invasion, while an Iraqi Kh-25MP anti-radiation missile strike forced a radar shutdown of a Kuwaiti battery on Failaka Island. In 2020, Turkish forces deployed the system during interventions in Syria and Libya. More recently, the system was transferred to Ukraine for use in defensive operations. Modified versions have been adapted for carriage on fighter aircraft and integrated with alternative missile types in various national inventories.

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