- The UK is sending Ukraine a new air defense system, the Gravehawk.
- The mobile system has been retrofitted to fire air-to-air missiles from the ground.
- Having the systems will help Ukraine avoid running out of interceptor missiles, a military expert said.
The UK is sending Ukraine a new mobile air defense system that could help address one of its thorniest — and most expensive — issues.
Designed in the UK but part-funded by Denmark, Gravehawk is the size of a shipping container and has been retrofitted to fire air-to-air missiles, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The MOD didn’t specify which missiles it uses, but said they were already in Ukraine’s possession.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine has struggled to have enough air defense systems to counter Russia’s air bombardments.
Allies have sent it advanced systems like the US-made Patriot air-defense system, but these are expensive and are mainly used to defend cities and power stations from cruise and ballistic missile attacks.
A Patriot missile costs about $4 million to fire, and Ukraine has repeatedly asked for more of them.
Gravehawk, which was announced Thursday as part of a new $5.5 billion military aid package, could go toward addressing this gap.
Justin Bronk, an air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told Business Insider that Gravehawk provides Ukraine “a means to use more plentiful and affordable ammunition sources” than the handful of purpose-built but hugely expensive air defense batteries it has.
Having more air defenses like this “will help Ukraine avoid running out of interceptor missiles for those more expensive systems that are critical for defending against higher-end threats like ballistic and cruise missiles,” he added.
“At a more basic level, it’s also just adding additional air defense assets,” he said. “Ukraine is an enormous country.”
The UK MOD said that two Gravehawk prototypes were tested in Ukraine in September and that 15 more will follow this year.
“‘Gravehawk likely builds on previous experience,” Bronk said.
Ukraine has already fielded a makeshift air defense system that fires modified AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or ASRAAMs, from a Supacat truck chassis.
According to Bronk, this was used to shoot down Russian Orlan-10 and Zala-series reconnaissance drones, as well as Shahed-136 exploding drones.
Defense Express, a Ukrainian military news site, suggested that this setup was a precursor to Gravehawk.
Business Insider was unable to independently verify this.
The UK is also sending Ukraine drones and other equipment.
“This new package of support will help strengthen Ukraine’s position on the battlefield or at any negotiating table,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
The need for more air defenses was amply demonstrated this week when Russia sent an attack drone close to the presidential palace in Kyiv during a visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The drone was “a reminder of what Ukraine is facing every day,” Starmer said at a press conference.
