08/21/2026
How many HAWK air defense systems does Ukraine actually have? And can they hit Russia’s ballistic missiles?
Ukraine has roughly 1% of the Patriot interceptors it needs heading into winter, so it’s leaning on a missile system the U.S. Army retired in 1996: the MIM-23 HAWK. I break down what HAWK can and can’t actually intercept, why nobody can confirm exactly how many the U.S., Spain, and other allies have actually delivered, and how an air-defense missile from the Eisenhower era became the thing keeping scarce Patriot interceptors in reserve for the threats only Patriot can stop.
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Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.
- Chapters!
- 00:00 – Patriot shortage prompts look at Hawk
- 01:15 – Wes introduces Hawk amid interceptor shortage
- 01:37 – Why Hawk must shoulder Patriot’s workload
- 02:12 – Ukraine’s interceptor deficit and Hawk’s challenge
- 03:08 – Active shortage and Hawk’s post‑US era
- 04:32 – Reviving Hawk and the allied patchwork
- 06:35 – Hawk’s ballistic capability and radar dependence
- 08:11 – Layered defense and Hawk’s role
- 09:28 – Hawk as key to preserving Patriot through winter
- 09:39 – Sustainment challenges reviving Hawk
- 10:55 – Air defense overview and allied Hawk influx
- 12:45 – Allied Hawk shipments: advocacy and uncertainty
- 14:27 – Time as critical factor in Ukraine’s air defense