MIM-23 Hawk

MIM-23 Hawk. . The MIM-23 Hawk was a U.S medium range surface-to-air missile that entered service in 1960. Originally intended to destroy enemy aircraft, the "Homing All the Way Killer" evolved into a theater ballistic missile interceptor during its thirty-five year service life. Development began in 1952 when the Army sought a guided missile weapons system for theater air defense. While the Nike Ajax and later Nike Hercule focused on strategic threats to the continental United States, Hawk was designed to operate with forward-deployed soldiers on the battlefield. , Two battalions of Hawk deployed to South Vietnam in 1965 and played a significant role in keeping the North Vietnamese Air Force north of the DMZ. No Hawk missile was fired in anger during the Vietnam War. The Hawk's first combat use came on 21 March 1969 when an Israeli Hawk missile shot down an Egyptian MiG-21 over the Sinai Peninsula. , The Hawk system is modular in nature, having four different radar sets for acquisition, ranging, tracking and IFF (Identification Friend or Foe). These radars would transmit the necessary information to the missile command center and enable the crews engage a threat aircraft. The missile's guidance system would rely on the continuous illumination of the target by the target tracking radar and would "ride" the radar beam to the intended target. The system is still in use with many militaries around the world, but was superseded by the Patriot missile system in US service by 1994. , Missile Weight - 1290 lb - 590 kg , Range - 31 mi - 50 km , Speed: - Mach 2.4 , Ceiling: - 45,000 ft - 14,000m