United to win: Britain unveils Gravehawk air defense system designed for Ukraine
A carrier truck and container with Gravehawk missiles. Photo: Forces News
The UK officially presented the Gravehawk anti-aircraft missile system, designed specifically for Ukraine.
Forces News published photos of the new system.
What is the solution?
Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Kyiv, a message on the British government website announced that the UK will deliver Gravehawk mobile air defense systems to Ukraine in 2025. These systems were developed with joint funding from Britain and Denmark.
"The innovative system, the size of a sea container, is capable of modernizing air-to-air missiles for ground-based air defense," the department emphasized.
How does it work?
As the British government specifies, the Gravehawk system can use Ukrainian missiles already in service with Ukraine's armed forces.
"Two prototypes of the air defense system were tested in Ukraine in September [2024 – ed.], and 15 more will be transferred this year," they added.
In addition, the Gravehawk air defense system, created for Ukraine, was officially presented in Britain. The air defense system was developed in just 18 months to combat:
- drones,
- cruise missiles,
- aircraft.
The Gravehawk air defense systems development cost £6 million and was carried out by the Taskforce Kindred special team within the UK Ministry of Defense.
R-73 missiles as part of the Gravehawk complex. Photo: Forces News
The system employs Soviet R-73 air-to-air missiles adapted for launch from a ground-based platform. Depending on the variant, these missiles can engage targets at distances ranging from 20 kilometers (RMD-1) to 40 kilometers (RMD-2) in the forward hemisphere and up to 300 meters in the rear hemisphere.
These missiles are in significant numbers of service with the Ukrainian Air Force and are also available on the international arms market.
R-73 guided missiles of the Ukrainian Air Force. September 2021. Photo: Air Force of Ukraine's armed forces
Gravehawk is housed in a standard ISO transport container, enabling easy transportation by various modes of transport. This format allows for rapid deployment in necessary locations and ensures concealed movement.
An optical system with infrared detection is installed on the container's roof, capturing the target's thermal trace.
Optical station of the Gravehawk complex. Photo: Forces News
As a result, the Gravehawk operates without emitting radar signals, making it challenging for the enemy to detect. Images captured by the optical system are transmitted to a command module compact enough to fit in a briefcase.
Gravehawk control unit. Photo: Forces News
One complex costs about 1 million pounds sterling, half of which is financed by Denmark.
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