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1994-11-02
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The Hawk air-defense missile is one of the oldest anti-aircraft missile sys-
tems remaining in active service with U.S. forces. This system is widely
deployed throughout the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and serves with the
airdefense units of 21 other nations. Although the Hawk is somewhat large,
heavy, and cumbersome, the U.S. Department of Defense decided in 1982
to keep the system until after the turn of the century.
Hawk (Homing-All-the-Way-Killer) was first deployed by the U.S. Army in
1960. The Hawk's warhead carries a proximity fuse and a 120-pound
warhead filled with high explosive. Upon detonation, the explosion
fragments the surrounding casing and destroys the target with shrapnel.
The missile launcher is mounted on the self-propelled M727 launcher unit,
which is based on the chassis of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. The
entire system, though heavy, is air-transportable.
The Hawk has undergone some major improvemens since 1972. The first
substituded solid-state electronics to improve reliability. Also added were
a larger warhead, improved propellant, and a system that automatically
coordinates data supplied by the various systems and then selects and
assigns priorities to targets in order of threat. Despite its bulk and complexity,
the Mach 2.5 Hawk missile remains one of the best air-defense systems
in the world for medium-altitude interdiction.