A view inside the container of the Gravehawk air-defence system shows two R-73/AA-11 missiles, seen at Royal Air Force Northolt in West London on 11 February 2025. (MoD/Crown Copyright)
The Gravehawk air-defence systems to be supplied to Ukraine – funded and developed by the UK and Denmark – will number 17, with no current plans for more, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Janes on 14 February.
Two prototypes were tested in Ukraine in September 2024, to be followed by the delivery of 15 production versions in 2025.
The shipping container-based Gravehawk system is made to fire the Soviet-designed R-73/AA-11 ‘Archer' short-range air-to-air missile, developed by Vympel NPO that entered service in 1984. Ukraine has stocks of the missiles that have been adapted for surface-to-air firing, with the MoD saying the Gravehawk is not currently configured for firing other missiles.
It is transported via a Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System (DROPS). There are currently no plans for any other vehicle provision by the UK, the MoD said; however, the Gravehawk could theoretically be transported via any standard flat rack.
Engaging with UK defence industry and the MoD's Defence, Equipment, and Support (DE&S) procurement and supply agency, Gravehawk has been gone from concept to delivery in under a year, with research and development costs less than GBP6 million (USD7.6 million) and subsequent production costs of approximately GBP1 million per launcher, the MoD said.
Previous concepts for Gravehawk included an MBDA Brimstone launcher module mounted on a Supacat HMT 6×6 platform.
UK support
On 16 February UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “ready and willing” to send British troops into Ukraine to help enforce a possible peace treaty.
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