Gravehawk: UK's secret weapon in Ukraine proving a graveyard for Russian missiles and drones

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1. What is the Gravehawk air defense system?

2. Gravehawk's deployment in Ukraine

3. Ammunition used by the Gravehawk system

4. Tactical and technical features of AIM-132 ASRAAM

What is the Gravehawk air defense system?

On January 16, in Kyiv, Keir Starmer made an official statement regarding the supply of a new air defense system to Ukraine. Gravehawk is a surface-to-air missile system urgently developed with funding from the UK and Denmark. However, the Militarnyi portal suggests it is not a completely new development but rather a "compilation of existing solutions based on air-to-air missiles."

The primary feature of Gravehawk is its use of modified air-to-air missiles launched from the ground instead of conventional surface-to-air missiles. Specifically, it employs short-range AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles. Their range when launched from an aircraft is 25 km, so when used with the air defense system, it is unlikely to exceed 10-15 km. This range is sufficient for many aerial threats that Russia uses to attack Ukraine, allowing more expensive weapons, such as Patriot missiles, to be used sparingly.

The system is approximately the size of a shipping container. This year, 15 Gravehawk systems are planned for delivery to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The first two prototypes have been undergoing testing in Ukraine since September.

Gravehawk's deployment in Ukraine

The use of air defense systems called Gravehawk has not yet been publicly reported. However, Defense Express believes these systems correspond to unnamed air defense systems discussed in Western media, such as the Times, during the summer of 2023. At that time, it was reported that Ukraine received several new air defense systems using AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles mounted on SupaCat truck chassis, including an image of the system.

"From the attached photo, it appears that a dual-launcher is mounted on a three-axle SupaCat high-mobility vehicle. It also carries spare missiles (likely four). There is no radar, but an electro-optical sensor is installed on a (telescopic?) mast behind the cab," described the system military historian and professor at the National Academy of Land Forces, Andriy Kharuk.

He believes that, in this configuration, the system can effectively engage helicopters and cruise missiles. However, external target designation would be required to destroy aircraft. According to Kharuk, implementing this capability should not be difficult.

"It can be observed that the integration of ASRAAM missiles into the air defense system did not involve significant technological complexities — missiles are launched using an aviation pylon already mounted on the launcher. Additionally, a compact radar on a mast, necessary for airspace monitoring, can be seen on the launcher," Defense Express describes the image.

On the night of October 12, 2023, Russian forces launched 33 Shahed drones at Ukraine. Ukraine's Air Force successfully intercepted 28 of them. While reporting on the attack's defense, Ukrainian forces released a video, marking the first official confirmation that the Ukrainian Defense Forces possess an improvised British air defense system utilizing AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles. However, the video was recorded at night, making it difficult to view the system clearly. A higher-quality video was shared on social media in February 2024.

The outlet Army Technology writes that the mobility of the launchers in the new air defense system may indicate a need for tactical mobility on the battlefield.

Ammunition used by the Gravehawk system

In reporting the delivery of the new systems, the British emphasized that Gravehawk "can use Ukrainian missiles already in service with their defense forces" to intercept Russian missiles and drones.

Army Technology notes that these include Soviet-era medium-range air-to-air missiles, such as the R-27, as well as short-range air-to-air missiles like the R-60 and R-73. The R-27 is over 4 meters long and weighs 283 kg, while the shorter-range missiles are smaller. The R-73 is nearly three meters long and weighs about 100 kg. This Soviet-guided air-to-air missile has an infrared homing system and is used by Soviet-era fighter jets. Ukraine has successfully adapted the R-73 for the Osa air defense system and the Magura V5 marine drones. The smallest of these is the R-60, measuring 2.1 meters and weighing 44 kg.

For the Gravehawk system, modern supersonic American missiles like the AIM-9X, adopted by the U.S. military just over a decade ago, may also be used. The AIM-9X is employed by medium-range air defense systems such as NASAMS.

It is more likely that the Gravehawk system will continue to actively use the AIM-132 ASRAAM. The missile has an infrared homing head, so the task of the crew will be to direct the missile toward the target and wait for it to lock onto it independently. This allows the system to operate entirely in ambush mode, without the need for radar stations.

AIM-132 ASRAAM. Photo: www.flickr.com

"Thanks to the combination of an advanced aerodynamic shape, high thrust-to-weight ratio, and powerful control surfaces, the AIM-132 missile has high speed, excellent maneuverability, and controllability," describes the weapon Kharuk.

The missile's warhead is fragmentation and high-explosive, and the guidance system is combined, featuring an inertial system and an infrared homing head. The initiation, in addition to the contact fuze, is triggered by a laser sensor.

Tactical and technical features of AIM-132 ASRAAM

Weight – 88 kg,
Warhead – 10 kg,
Length – 2.9 m,
Diameter – 0.17 m,
Launch range from aircraft – 25 km,
Launch range from the ground – 10 km,
Maximum speed – 3 Mach.