UK unveils Gravehawk: New air defense for Ukraine's skies
The United Kingdom will supply Ukraine with a new mobile air defense system later this year. According to the British government, the system was quickly developed to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs, and the project was jointly funded by the UK and Denmark. What is known about the mysterious Gravehawk system?
"The innovative system, comparable in size to a shipping container, can adapt air-to-air missiles for ground-based air defense, enabling the use of missiles already in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces Source," the British government stated in a press release. It also emphasized that, due to the continuous bombardment of Ukraine by Russia, "the Gravehawk system will strengthen Ukraine's air defense, allowing it to protect its cities, troops and critical infrastructure."
Gravehawk system for Ukraine
The British report that in September 2024, two prototypes of the Gravehawk system were tested in Ukraine, with tests of an additional 15 planned for 2025. Information on the system's specifications and capabilities remains confidential. However, the Ukrainian military-themed service Militarny notes that the rapid development of Gravehawk suggests it is not a "fully developed anti-aircraft system but rather a relatively simple design based on off-the-shelf components."
Furthermore, according to the service, Gravehawk may resemble the already known British anti-aircraft missile set, mounted on a Supacat HMT chassis and equipped with an electro-optical head and a launcher for AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles. The difference is that Gravehawk will enable the use of Ukrainian missiles. Another scenario suggests that Gravehawk will be based on Soviet air-to-air guided missiles R-73, which Ukraine has in abundance.
It is also worth noting that so far, the United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with, among others, Terrahawk Paladin systems, which are short-range anti-aircraft weapons and improvised anti-aircraft sets. Terrahawk Paladin is a modern, stationary anti-aircraft system produced by the British company MSI Defence Systems. Its primary purpose is to protect critical infrastructure from aerial threats such as drones or cruise missiles.
It is equipped with a 30-mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannon, with the possibility of upgrading to a 40-mm caliber. The Terrahawk Paladin features a radar with four AESA antennas, providing 360-degree coverage, as well as the SATOS electro-optical targeting station with a thermal imaging camera and laser rangefinder. This allows the system to autonomously detect, track, and destroy targets in all weather conditions.
