Latest news with #Gravehawk
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine Has Another New SAM System That Fires Soviet R-73 Air-To-Air Missiles
Ukraine has unveiled its latest 'FrankenSAM,' a surface-to-air missile system leveraging existing capabilities within the Ukrainian Armed Forces arsenal to help rapidly provide badly needed additional air defenses. The new system fires repurposed Soviet-era heat-seeking R-73 air-to-air missiles as interceptors and joins a growing list of ground-based air defense systems that make use of stocks of this same weapon. The R-73s primarily equip Ukraine's Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter fleets. Some details of the new system, the name of which has not yet been disclosed, were provided by the Ukrainian Militarnyi news outlet today. This describes a FrankenSAM 'based on a classified platform,' using R-73s — an accompanying photo shows a turret-like launcher with rails for a pair of the missiles on the top. It's not clear how mobile the system is, although its location in a field suggests that it is likely either self-propelled (on a wheeled or tracked chassis) or is otherwise mounted on a towed trailer. Regardless, it looks very compact. It should also be noted that there is a possibility that at least some aspects of the photo may have been manipulated to conceal parts of the system. An unknown new air defense system with R-73 aircraft missiles in service with the Third Assault Brigade of Ukraine. — Special Kherson Cat (@ 2025-03-20T15:07:22.011Z The same sources say that the system is in use with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of Air Defense and Missile Defense, with the suggestion that it may have been developed within that unit. 'Despite the advanced age of the equipment and its limited tactical and technical characteristics, we find opportunities for modernization and implementation of the latest approaches,' the brigade's commander, Maksym Zaichenko, told Militarnyi. Zaichenko adds that the R-73 offers the particular advantage of being a 'fire and forget' weapon, thanks to its infrared guidance. This means that the firing unit can 'change its position after firing, so as not to expose itself to a retaliatory strike.' This would also suggest a relatively high level of mobility or at least portability. This is not the first time that Ukraine has received ground-based air defense systems armed with adapted R-73 missiles. Earlier this year, we got our first look at the containerized, R-73-based Gravehawk surface-to-air missile system, which the United Kingdom and Denmark developed for Ukraine. The slightly mad scientists at the UK MOD have revealed the Gravehawk surface-to-air missile system for Ukrainian service. The entire SAM system fits in a standard shipping container, carries a pair of converted R-73 AAMs, and can be quickly deployed off the back of a flatbed. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 12, 2025 The entire Gravehawk system fits inside a modified ISO shipping container with a retractable roof, and it's intended to be emplaced on the ground before use, although it's unclear if it can be employed while it is still on the back of the truck that transports it. The truck apparently associated with Gravehawk is an eight-wheeled Leyland DAF design equipped with the Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System (DROPS), which is capable of relatively quickly loading and unloading containers. Perhaps, the new R-73-based system now revealed as being in use with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade is operated in a similar way, but without more imagery, we can't say for certain. For targeting, Gravehawk uses a retractable sensor system containing at least one infrared sensor to spot and track targets and cue the R-73 missiles to them. Again, this is the kind of hardware that could also find its way onto the newly revealed surface-to-air missile system. Similar, if not identical sensors, also appear on another kind of FrankenSAM that the United Kingdom previously supplied Ukraine. However, this uses the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) as its interceptor rather than the R-73 and is mounted on a 6×6 Supacat High Mobility Transporter (HMT). Using passive infrared sensors means that the system is not vulnerable to detection by Russian electronic warfare systems, unlike surface-to-air missile systems that rely on active radars. On the new R-73-based system there is also no evidence of an integral radar, although that remains a possibility. Datalinks could also feed the system general situational awareness and targeting data. An array of mushroom-shaped fairings atop the new system are intriguing. The purpose of these is unclear, but they could be related to some kind of passive radio-frequency detection system. As TWZ has previously written about the R-73, also known to NATO as the AA-11 Archer: 'The R-73, in air-launched form, has a maximum range of 18.6 miles against a head-on target of 8.7 miles against a tail-on target. A ground-launched application would have reduced range since the missile wouldn't benefit from the speed and altitude parameters of the launch aircraft. In this case, it's perhaps more relevant to look at the seeker range of the R-73, which would remain broadly the same for ground launch: 6.2-7.5 miles.' … 'The R-73 is a high-off-boresight (HOBS) weapon, with a seeker that can articulate in any direction much farther than a traditional heat-seeking air-to-air missile with a fixed non-HOBS seeker that stares directly forward. Aided by a helmet-mounted sight, the Archer can be launched in air-to-air engagements against targets with off-boresight angles of +/-75 degrees. This gives the R-73 the potential to be a particularly potent, albeit improvised threat for locking onto and engaging dynamic targets with minimal assisting sensors when used in a surface-launched form.' It would appear that, like Gravehawk, the new system relies to a significant degree on the R-73's HOBS seeker since the launch rails otherwise offer a fixed field of fire. The launch rails themselves appear to be the same APU-73 adapters that provide the usual interface between the R-73 and an aircraft pylon. Ukraine has also fielded modified 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) wheeled air defense vehicles armed with R-73 missiles instead of their usual 9M33 interceptors. This is notable for being a domestic initiative combining a Soviet-era surface-to-air missile vehicle with Soviet-era air-to-air missiles. The Ukrainian military has also introduced R-73-armed uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), an application known locally as the Sea Dragon. GUR the first in the world to destroy an air target using a Magura V5 naval drone. During the battle in the Black Sea and Crimea, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed by R-73 'SeeDragon' missiles. Another similar enemy helicopter was hit by fire and was able to reach its base airfield. — MAKS 24 (@ 2024-12-31T08:38:10.618Z It would seem likely that the new R-73-based surface-to-air missile system is especially relevant when it comes to dealing with Russian long-range kamikaze drones and cruise missile threats. Ultimately, it might also be intended for static employment defending critical infrastructure. Regardless, the capabilities of the R-73 also make it capable of engaging fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. While the missile rails seen in the one photo published so far are specifically for R-73s, it's also possible that the new systems could be adapted to fire other missiles like the aforementioned ASRAAM or U.S.-made AIM-9 Sidewinders, which Ukraine has also received. Many questions about the new surface-to-air missile system remain — not least what it's called. However, its appearance underlines the fact that Ukraine has plentiful stocks of R-73s and suggests that these missiles are judged to be a very useful addition to its air defense arsenal. Furthermore, the appearance of the new system is another reminder that Ukraine is still badly in need of additional air defenses, with Western allies so far only providing relatively modest numbers of admittedly generally very capable systems. While there have been repeated warnings that Ukraine's stocks of missiles for its existing Soviet-era air defense systems might run out, repurposing R-73s for the same role currently seems to be a useful stopgap. Contact the author: thomas@
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US-made Patriot missiles have protected Kyiv. Europe doesn't have an easy replacement.
Trump has paused US aid to Ukraine, sparking concerns for the future of US weapons there. Ukraine is particularly worried about the Patriot systems that protect Kyiv from Russian missiles. Europe doesn't have a direct replacement to offer, and its arsenals aren't deep. Ukraine's US-made Patriot air defense systems have protected its capital, Kyiv, and other cities from Russian attacks. But President Donald Trump's recent moves threaten its future in Ukraine, and Ukraine's allies in Europe have little to replace it with if they need to make up a Patriot deficit. That puts Kyiv and its millions of residents under serious threat. For Ukraine, the Patriot is "the most-capable, longest-range air defense system they have," Justin Bronk, a leading airpower expert at the UK's Royal United Services Institute, told Business Insider. It's been "absolutely critical," he said, and if US aid stops, "Europe has no direct equivalent to Patriot" to give. The MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system, primarily manufactured by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, has taken down missiles and planes over Ukraine, and has helped keep Russia's devastating air force at bay. Ukraine now reportedly operates six Patriot systems at undisclosed locations around the country. Patriots have been seen as a huge success, despite Ukraine and warfare experts repeatedly stating it never got enough. Ukraine also suffered missile shortages for the systems it did receive. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukraine's president, told BI earlier this week that losing access to Patriots is a particular concern for his country. And Europe doesn't have its own direct replacement it can offer. Bronk said the "closest thing" is the SAMP/T, developed by France's Thales and multi-national European MBDA. But it lacks the "absolutely critical" Patriot feature: Its ability to shoot down fast-moving ballistic missiles. He said it "has a degree of ballistic missile capability, but it's not as capable as Patriot." The West, generally short on air defenses, has rushed to make new systems, like the UK-designed Gravehawk. But the Gravehawk was designed for slower targets like cruise missiles, and far fewer have been made compared to Patriots. Ukraine's booming defense industry is also making a Patriot rival, but having it operational and in big enough numbers would take years. Ukraine had some of its own anti-ballistic missile capabilities at the start of the war, but they have run out. George Barros, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War, told BI that Ukraine has no "easy replacement system that can fill the shoes of the Patriot system, and neither do the Europeans have a commensurate system that they can deploy at scale." That is also demonstrated by how much Europe and other US allies rely on Patriots for their own defenses. The US, Barros said, "has a monopoly on European air defense." Other Ukraine allies have Patriots they could give it — in fact, Ukraine has previously identified many Patriot systems it said its allies could spare. But the US can block the sharing of US-made weapons going forward. The missiles used by the Patriot are also made in the US, heightening that fear. Retired Australian Army Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan, now a warfare strategist, told BI that Europe is building different air defense systems, but will "find it hard to plug the gap of Patriots unless they send their own Patriot systems." For his part, Barros said Europe has to consider how many Patriots it could send without degrading its own air defenses, given other countries are increasingly afraid Russia could attack. Ryan described Europe as already "at the limit" of how many Patriots it could send. While Ukraine thinks its European allies can spare more, it remains to be seen how Trump's actions will shift their thinking. Mark Cancian, a senior advisor on defense and security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told BI that Europe has a spectrum of equipment that could be put together to largely do the job of the Patriot — but the problem is how much equipment Europe feels it can give. Patriot missiles have stopped Russian attacks, including ballistic missiles the Kremlin bragged were unstoppable. They also took down a Russian A-50 spy plane, something a senior US Army officer at the time called "historic." Ukraine has received Patriot systems from the Netherlands, Germany, and the US, with the first ones arriving in 2023. They're known to be stationed near the capital, and Barros described them as "incredibly important for protecting Ukraine's decision-making nerve center in Kyiv." The city has been largely protected both by Ukraine's military pushing Russian forces back early in the war and its air defenses stopping Russian attacks. Ukraine's European allies have vowed to keep supporting it, and many countries are now giving their largest-ever aid packages and pledging to make up any gaps left by the US. But there are obstacles: Europe has manufacturing problems, and creating new pieces of weaponry takes years. In short, the will to spend is not the only issue. Even so, Trump's moves could push the continent closer together. Europe is already contributing more aid to Ukraine than the US — roughly $143 billion to date compared to about $124 from the US, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy — and Europe has committed billions more that's still to be allocated. But if access to US-made Patriot air defenses becomes harder, Ukraine will likely experience a lot more pain. Read the original article on Business Insider
Euronews
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
What is Gravehawk, the new air defence system that could give Ukraine an edge?
As leaders meet in Paris to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, there's hope that a new weapon system could give Ukrainian forces an edge. The Gravehawk, an air defence system designed by the United Kingdom and Denmark that's the size of a shipping container, retrofits air missiles for 'ground-based air defence". The UK government says this means Ukrainians can use the weapons they already have. According to the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), the system uses the Soviet R-73 or AA-11 short-range air-to-air missiles, which can take on targets up to 32 kilometres. The BFBS wrote the storage container also has a system at the very top that uses passive infrared radiation to detect its targets. These images are then transmitted to a command module. "With Ukraine under constant Russian bombardment, the Gravehawk system will boost Ukraine's air defences, allowing them to defend their cities, troops and critical infrastructure," a government statement from earlier this year said. Part of a multi-million equipment package to Ukraine Two prototypes have already been tested in Ukraine and a further 15 units are coming in 2025, the government said in January. Ukraine used an R-73 missile to shoot down a Russian helicopter in December. According to Luke Pollard, the armed forces minister, the cost of producing and delivering two prototype Gravehawks to Ukraine was circa £6 million (€7 million) and was 'borne by the UK". The other 15 units dedicated to Ukraine will cost £14 million (€16.8 million) and will be split between the UK and Denmark, the response continued. According to the UK's Ministry of Defence, the 15 Gravehawks are part of the £150 million (€180.3 million) military equipment package announced by the British government. The announcement includes thousands of drones, 50 armoured vehicles, and air defence equipment for more than 100 Ukrainian air defence teams.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Britain supplies Ukraine with new missile system – hidden inside shipping containers
Britain has started supplying Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles which can be launched from shipping containers. Named Gravehawk, the new missile defence system converts plentiful Soviet-era weapons into ground-based air defences. It disguises Cold War-era Vympel R-73 missiles – originally designed for Soviet fighter jets – inside standard shipping containers that can be transported inconspicuously by lorries. Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv-based foreign policy and security analyst, said it would cause confusion on the battlefield for the Russian army. 'Russia has to contend with a scenario where any shipping container in Ukraine – and there are tens of thousands – could potentially be concealing one of these systems,' he said. He added: 'That's also why we got a very detailed look at this system; the MoD were generous with media access compared with similar systems in the past.' The Gravehawk system allows air-to-air missiles to be deployed as ground-based defences and will enable Ukraine to deploy its stockpile of Vympel missiles, thus boosting Kyiv's capabilities without needing new missile production or complex logistics. The move comes at a time when continued, substantial Western support for Ukraine is increasingly in doubt, especially since the new Trump administration entered the White House. It also represents a key advancement for Ukraine's air defence amid increasing Russian air threats that have been wreaking havoc on civilian targets and key infrastructure sites. The system uses two weapons rails taken from Su-27 fighter jets to launch the R-73 missiles, known to Nato as AA-11 Archer missiles. They can travel 1,650 miles per hour and have a 20-mile range. A camera mounted on the container tracks targets through heat signatures. This makes the platform difficult for enemies to detect as it emits no radar signal. Little is known about the system, but it has been described as highly innovative, relatively cheap and deadly. Credit: BFBS/ MOD None of the analysts The Telegraph contacted were able to comment on it. The Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank, said on Thursday morning it was 'seeing if we've anyone to talk about this.' By the end of the day, it had not responded, suggesting it had found no one familiar with the system. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, announced the programme during a Nato summit in Brussels, calling it evidence of Britain's ongoing support for Ukraine against Russia. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman added: 'The system can use Ukrainian missiles to shoot down Russian missiles and drones. It can complement Ukraine's existing air defence system, which includes anti-aircraft guns.' The £6 million development took 18 months through the MoD's Taskforce Kindred working with classified defence contractors, defence officials said. Each unit costs £1 million, with Denmark providing half the funding. Two Gravehawk systems are already being used by Ukrainian forces with reported success on the front line. Britain will deliver 15 more units this fiscal year. However, the new system may raise concerns of perfidy, or in this case the tactic of hiding weapons among civilian infrastructure, which can constitute a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Ukraine previously used an R-73 missile on a drone to destroy a Russian helicopter over the Black Sea in December. While Ukraine initially sought F-16 fighters and air-to-air missiles instead, defence officials said Kyiv's forces now wanted additional Gravehawk systems after seeing their effectiveness against Russian aircraft, missiles and Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones. The British Government has also announced a new £150 million military aid package for Ukraine. It will include tanks, artillery, air-to-air missiles and other weaponry. Speaking at the Nato summit, Mr Healey said: '2025 is the critical year for the war in Ukraine. Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage – military and civilians alike, and their bravery, fused with our support, has proved a lethal combination.' He added: 'While Russia is weakened, it remains undeniably dangerous. We must step up further, and secure peace through strength, together.' Hugh Miall, emeritus professor of international relations at the University of Kent and co-author of Contemporary Conflict Resolution, said the support would demonstrate that Ukraine was not alone, despite Donald Trump's stance. He said: 'If [Sir Keir] Starmer is pushing in some extra military supplies and financial support at the moment, it would be about trying to put in a bit of countervailing policy – some rather different from Trump's approach... 'Other European countries need to pile on the support now to Ukraine to improve their bargaining and military position as much as possible.' News that Britain is supplying Ukraine with the Gravehawk system came after the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein Group, promised to supply 100 IRIS-T air defence missiles. IRIS-Ts (infrared imaging system tail/thrust vector-controlled), a family of short-range infrared homing air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, will also aid in Ukraine's air defence efforts. The heat-seekers target the engines of enemy jets, the hottest part of such aircraft. The Gravehawk system is thought to work in a similar way. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Britain supplies Ukraine with new missile system – hidden inside shipping containers
Britain has started supplying Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles which can be launched from shipping containers. Named Gravehawk, the new missile defence system converts plentiful Soviet-era weapons into ground-based air defences. It disguises Cold War-era Vympel R-73 missiles – originally designed for Soviet fighter jets – inside standard shipping containers that can be transported inconspicuously by lorries. Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv-based foreign policy and security analyst, said it would cause confusion on the battlefield for the Russian army. 'Russia has to contend with a scenario where any shipping container in Ukraine – and there are tens of thousands – could potentially be concealing one of these systems,' he said. He added: 'That's also why we got a very detailed look at this system; the MoD were generous with media access compared with similar systems in the past.' The Gravehawk system allows air-to-air missiles to be deployed as ground-based defences and will enable Ukraine to deploy its stockpile of Vympel missiles, thus boosting Kyiv's capabilities without needing new missile production or complex logistics. The move comes at a time when continued, substantial Western support for Ukraine is increasingly in doubt, especially since the new Trump administration entered the White House. It also represents a key advancement for Ukraine's air defence amid increasing Russian air threats that have been wreaking havoc on civilian targets and key infrastructure sites. The system uses two weapons rails taken from Su-27 fighter jets to launch the R-73 missiles, known to Nato as AA-11 Archer missiles. They can travel 1,650 miles per hour and have a 20-mile range. A camera mounted on the container tracks targets through heat signatures. This makes the platform difficult for enemies to detect as it emits no radar signal. Little is known about the system, but it has been described as highly innovative, relatively cheap and deadly. None of the analysts The Telegraph contacted were able to comment on it. The Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank, said on Thursday morning it was 'seeing if we've anyone to talk about this.' By the end of the day, it had not responded, suggesting it had found no one familiar with the system. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, announced the programme during a Nato summit in Brussels, calling it evidence of Britain's ongoing support for Ukraine against Russia. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman added: 'The system can use Ukrainian missiles to shoot down Russian missiles and drones. It can complement Ukraine's existing air defence system, which includes anti-aircraft guns.' The £6 million development took 18 months through the MoD's Taskforce Kindred working with classified defence contractors, defence officials said. Each unit costs £1 million, with Denmark providing half the funding. Two Gravehawk systems are already being used by Ukrainian forces with reported success on the front line. Britain will deliver 15 more units this fiscal year. However, the new system may raise concerns of perfidy, or in this case the tactic of hiding weapons among civilian infrastructure, which can constitute a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Ukraine previously used an R-73 missile on a drone to destroy a Russian helicopter over the Black Sea in December. While Ukraine initially sought F-16 fighters and air-to-air missiles instead, defence officials said Kyiv's forces now wanted additional Gravehawk systems after seeing their effectiveness against Russian aircraft, missiles and Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones. The British Government has also announced a new £150 million military aid package for Ukraine. It will include tanks, artillery, air-to-air missiles and other weaponry. Speaking at the Nato summit, Mr Healey said: '2025 is the critical year for the war in Ukraine. Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage – military and civilians alike, and their bravery, fused with our support, has proved a lethal combination.' He added: 'While Russia is weakened, it remains undeniably dangerous. We must step up further, and secure peace through strength, together.' Hugh Miall, emeritus professor of international relations at the University of Kent and co-author of Contemporary Conflict Resolution, said the support would demonstrate that Ukraine was not alone, despite Donald Trump's stance. He said: 'If [Sir Keir] Starmer is pushing in some extra military supplies and financial support at the moment, it would be about trying to put in a bit of countervailing policy – some rather different from Trump's approach... 'Other European countries need to pile on the support now to Ukraine to improve their bargaining and military position as much as possible.' News that Britain is supplying Ukraine with the Gravehawk system came after the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein Group, promised to supply 100 IRIS-T air defence missiles. IRIS-Ts (infrared imaging system tail/thrust vector-controlled), a family of short-range infrared homing air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, will also aid in Ukraine's air defence efforts. The heat-seekers target the engines of enemy jets, the hottest part of such aircraft. The Gravehawk system is thought to work in a similar way.
