Unique-U.S. considers HAWK air protection gear for Ukraine, say U.S. officers By Reuters

By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US is contemplating sending older HAWK air protection gear from storage to Ukraine to assist it defend towards Russian drone and cruise missile assaults, two U.S. officers informed Reuters.

The HAWK interceptor missiles could be an improve to the Stinger missile programs – a smaller, shorter vary air protection system – that the US has already despatched to blunt Russia’s invasion.

The Biden administration would use the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to switch the HAWK gear which relies on Vietnam-era know-how, however has been upgraded a number of occasions. The PDA permits the US to switch protection articles and providers from shares shortly with out congressional approval in response to an emergency.

Reuters was unable to find out what number of HAWK programs and missiles the US has out there to switch. The White Home declined to remark.

The HAWK system is the predecessor to PATRIOT missile protection system made by Raytheon Applied sciences (NYSE:) which stays off the desk for Ukraine, U.S. officers have informed Reuters.

U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy that Washington would offer Ukraine with superior air programs after a devastating missile barrage from Russia earlier this month.

NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg has stated that Spain intends to ship 4 HAWK launchers.

The US would probably initially ship interceptor missiles for the HAWK system to Ukraine as a result of it was unclear if sufficient U.S. launchers had been in good restore, one U.S. official informed Reuters. The U.S. programs have been in storage for many years.

A PDA is being thought of for later this week, U.S. officers have stated. One U.S. official stated it might probably be about half the scale of the current safety help packages which have been round $700 million.

It was not instantly clear if HAWK interceptor missiles could be included, however U.S. officers have beforehand cautioned that dimension and composition of navy help packages can change quickly.

Because the Feb. 24 Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “particular navy operation”, the US has despatched round $17.6 billion value of safety help to Kyiv.