Ukraine is getting a powerful new weapon from a key ally

On January 16th, the United Kingdom announced it would be sending a powerful new surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine known as the Gravehawk, as part of a £4.5 billion pound military assistance package to its embattled ally.

Details about the Gravehawk have been sparse and mainly come from the UK Ministry of Defence according to the Ukrainian military news website Militarnyi. Here’s what we know about the powerful new weapon Kyiv will receive. 

The Gravehawk is first and foremost an anti-aircraft missile system that was developed by Britain but jointly funded with Denmark according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The Gravehawk was rapidly developed to meet Kyiv’s air defense needs. We are not sure what the system looks like. 

Air defense systems have become one of the most essential weapons Ukraine needs in the fight to defend its land from Russia. The Gravehawk was created to be a solution to a major problem—providing more air defense coverage. 

“With Ukraine under constant Russian bombardment, the Gravehawk system will boost Ukraine’s air defenses, allowing them to defend their cities, troops and critical infrastructure,” the UK Ministry of Defence explained in a statement. 

Two prototype systems were developed and tested in Ukraine in September. Kyiv is set to receive 15 more systems before the end of 2025. But what can this powerful weapon actually do to protect Ukraine’s airspace from Russian attacks?

Photo Credit: Telegram @TyskNIP

We know that the Gravehawk is roughly the size of a shipping container and can also be retrofitted with air-to-air missiles for ground-based defense. The UK Ministry of Defence also noted Ukraine will be able to equip the Gravehawk with missiles already in its arsenal. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @TyskNIP

The Gravehawk isn’t a new weapon but rather one that will allow Ukraine to make use of its missile stocks to defend its airspace by providing a ground-based platform from which its missiles can be fired at incoming Russian targets. 

Exact details on what the Gravehawk can fire are unknown. However, Militarnyi reported that descriptions of the system suggested it was developed by UK defense company Supacat, which has sent other prototype air defense systems to Ukraine in the past.

Photo Credit: Supacat

Militarnyi Supacat provided Ukraine with an air defense system with AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles mounted on its HMT chassis design. Defense Express, another Ukrainian news outlet, suggested this Supacat system could be a precursor to the Gravehawk.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Geoff Lee/MOD, OGL v1.0

"Gravehawk likely builds on previous experience," Justin Bronk, an expert on airpower with the Royal United Services Institute, told Business Consider. He added the system would likely help Ukraine from running out of interceptor missiles. 

The Aim-132 ASRAAM is an improved model of the original AIM-132, which weighs 88 kilograms (194 pounds) and has a range of up to 25 kilometers (15.5 miles). This could mean the Gravehawk was designed to provide short-range air defense. However, this fact isn’t confirmed. 

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