MIM-23 Hawk - Homing All the Way Killer
The display reads:
MIM-23 Hawk - Homing All the Way Killer
Following just six years behind Nike Ajax, the MIM-23 Hawk revolutionized tactical anti-aircraft warfare and continues to influence the modern battlefield to this day. The Hawk was first fielded by the US Army in 1959 as a mobile medium-altitude, medium range surface to air missile. Hawk was the first system adopted by the US Army that had the necessary performance to handle the latest generations of Soviet high performance fighter and attack aircraft.
The Hawk system included four different radar systems to acquire, identify, and track incoming air threats. The Pulse Acquisition Radar (PAR) and Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar (CWAR) were used in tandem to acquire an incoming target. The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) radar in the command post trailer would identify the incoming aircraft as friendly or hostile. Once the target was locked on, the semi-active radar homing missile would "ride" the radar beam from one of the battery's two High Power Illuminating Radars (HIPIR) to intercept the target.
Hawk's first combat deployment surprisingly came on US soil, when the 8th Missile Battalion (Hawk), 15th Artillery and 6th Battalion 56th Artillery deployed to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both units were awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for their performance during the crisis.
With the deepening US involvement in South Vietnam, two battalions of Hawks were deployed there in 1965 to provide low to medium altitude air defense for friendly forces and to deter the threat of Soviet-made IL-28 bombers, recently furnished to the North Vietnamese Air Force by the Soviets. The two Hawk battalions served continuously throughout the US involvement in South Vietnam and provided an effective air defense deterrent until they were withdrawn in 1972.
Hawk went through several upgrades during its time with the US Army. The Improved Hawk or I-Hawk increased the radar capabilities for all of the system's radars and added the MIM-23B missile. BY 1978 all Hawk systems in the Army inventory had been upgraded to I-Hawk and the introduction of the Product Improvement Plan (PIP) upgrades had begun as well. The three-phase PIP plan further modernized the Hawk system, replacing vacuum tubes with solid-state electronics and vastly improving the system's performance. The Hawk missile system that deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 with 2-1, 2-52 and 8-43 ADA was far different from those that went to Vietnam a quarter century before.
Hawk continued in US Army service until 1994 when it was completely phased out in favor of the MIM-104 Patriot. Hawk continued on with the US Marine Corps until 2002 when it was finally retired in US service, but it continues to be a significant weapon system throughout the world in service with a number of allied nations.
The M727 self-propelled Hawk launcher was intended to give the Hawk battery better mobility and faster time to incoming threats.
The MPQ-50 Pulse Acquisition Radar scanned for medium to high altitude threats, while the Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar searched for low altitude aircraft. The two systems working in concert could detect incoming aircraft at a range of 60 miles.
The MIM-23A weighed 1,300 lbs at launch and had a 119 lb HE blast / fragmentation warhead. It has a minimum engagement range of 1.2 miles and a maximum range of 16 miles. The engagement altitude envelope extended from a minimum of 200 feet up to 36,000 ft.
Taken December 11th, 2013.
MIM-23 Hawk - Homing All the Way Killer
The display reads:
MIM-23 Hawk - Homing All the Way Killer
Following just six years behind Nike Ajax, the MIM-23 Hawk revolutionized tactical anti-aircraft warfare and continues to influence the modern battlefield to this day. The Hawk was first fielded by the US Army in 1959 as a mobile medium-altitude, medium range surface to air missile. Hawk was the first system adopted by the US Army that had the necessary performance to handle the latest generations of Soviet high performance fighter and attack aircraft.
The Hawk system included four different radar systems to acquire, identify, and track incoming air threats. The Pulse Acquisition Radar (PAR) and Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar (CWAR) were used in tandem to acquire an incoming target. The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) radar in the command post trailer would identify the incoming aircraft as friendly or hostile. Once the target was locked on, the semi-active radar homing missile would "ride" the radar beam from one of the battery's two High Power Illuminating Radars (HIPIR) to intercept the target.
Hawk's first combat deployment surprisingly came on US soil, when the 8th Missile Battalion (Hawk), 15th Artillery and 6th Battalion 56th Artillery deployed to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both units were awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for their performance during the crisis.
With the deepening US involvement in South Vietnam, two battalions of Hawks were deployed there in 1965 to provide low to medium altitude air defense for friendly forces and to deter the threat of Soviet-made IL-28 bombers, recently furnished to the North Vietnamese Air Force by the Soviets. The two Hawk battalions served continuously throughout the US involvement in South Vietnam and provided an effective air defense deterrent until they were withdrawn in 1972.
Hawk went through several upgrades during its time with the US Army. The Improved Hawk or I-Hawk increased the radar capabilities for all of the system's radars and added the MIM-23B missile. BY 1978 all Hawk systems in the Army inventory had been upgraded to I-Hawk and the introduction of the Product Improvement Plan (PIP) upgrades had begun as well. The three-phase PIP plan further modernized the Hawk system, replacing vacuum tubes with solid-state electronics and vastly improving the system's performance. The Hawk missile system that deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 with 2-1, 2-52 and 8-43 ADA was far different from those that went to Vietnam a quarter century before.
Hawk continued in US Army service until 1994 when it was completely phased out in favor of the MIM-104 Patriot. Hawk continued on with the US Marine Corps until 2002 when it was finally retired in US service, but it continues to be a significant weapon system throughout the world in service with a number of allied nations.
The M727 self-propelled Hawk launcher was intended to give the Hawk battery better mobility and faster time to incoming threats.
The MPQ-50 Pulse Acquisition Radar scanned for medium to high altitude threats, while the Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar searched for low altitude aircraft. The two systems working in concert could detect incoming aircraft at a range of 60 miles.
The MIM-23A weighed 1,300 lbs at launch and had a 119 lb HE blast / fragmentation warhead. It has a minimum engagement range of 1.2 miles and a maximum range of 16 miles. The engagement altitude envelope extended from a minimum of 200 feet up to 36,000 ft.
Taken December 11th, 2013.