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3mo ago

UK to Deliver Innovative Gravehawk Air Defense System to Ukraine

The system, co-developed with Denmark, retrofits air-to-air missiles for ground-based defense and aims to bolster Ukraine's ability to counter aerial threats.

Image
A Ukrainian serviceman of the mobile air defense unit sits behind an anti-UAV machine gun tracking Russian drones in the sky using a beam of light during night patrol on December 2, 2024 in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) give a press conference after attending a presentation of Ukrainian military drones in Kyiv, on January 16, 2025. Britain and Ukraine's leaders on January 16, 2025, signed a "landmark" 100-year agreement that pledges strengthening defence ties between the two countries during a visit to Kyiv by Britain's Prime Minister. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP) (Photo by TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The UK announced it will send 15 units of the newly developed Gravehawk air defense system to Ukraine in 2025, following successful tests of two prototypes last year.
  • Gravehawk is a mobile, shipping container-sized system that repurposes air-to-air missiles for ground-based air defense, allowing the use of existing Ukrainian missile stockpiles.
  • The system was co-funded by the UK and Denmark and is designed to address Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs under constant Russian bombardment.
  • The announcement was part of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Kyiv, during which he also signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
  • This initiative is part of a broader £4.5 billion UK defense support package for Ukraine in 2025, which includes drones, artillery barrels, and officer training exchanges.