US Inks $138M Deal To Maintain And Upgrade Ukraine's HAWK Air Defence Systems

Ukraine’s defense against Russian drone and cruise missile attacks, the United States has announced a sale of air defense upgrades worth $138 million to Ukraine.

What Happened: A U.S. State Department official revealed on Wednesday that the U.S. will sell Ukraine equipment to maintain and upgrade its HAWK air defense systems, according to a Reuters report.

The U.S. began shipping HAWK interceptor missiles to Ukraine in 2022, enhancing the shoulder-launched Stinger air defense missile systems – a smaller, shorter-range system.

Ukraine has since received several air defense systems, including the U.S.-made Patriot system. According to the report, the emergency foreign military sale announced on Tuesday is worth up to $138 million, the official said, speaking anonymously.

Despite Ukraine exhausting many U.S. funding sources, Kyiv was recently granted $300 million in foreign military financing as part of the annual defense spending bill. This grant will be used to pay for the equipment, which includes engineering and integration for communications and refurbishment of HAWK fire units.

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The sale includes missile recertification components for older units, tools, test and support equipment, spare parts, and more. To support training and sustainment, around five U.S. government employees and 15 contractor representatives will temporarily travel to Europe.

Why It Matters: This sale comes at a time when Ukraine is grappling with a critical shortage of military supplies amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.

The U.S. Senate passed a $95-billion foreign policy package to subsidize Ukraine’s efforts against Russia. This was followed by a $300 million weapons package in March and a proposal by NATO in April for a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) fund to secure long-term military support for Ukraine.

The current sale of air defense upgrades continues efforts to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities despite escalating tensions with Russia.

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