US considers Vietnam-Era air defense system for Ukraine

 The US is considering sending Hawk air defense systems to Ukraine to help the country defend against recent Russian drone and missile barrages, Reuters reported.

The Vietnam-era Hawks are expected to be sourced through the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), enabling faster delivery, the outlet added.

The PDA allows the administration to transfer military assistance from storage without congressional approval.

The delivery timeline and quantity are not clear.

The development comes as the Biden administration is reportedly considering announcing another PDA aid package for Ukraine later this week, days after the previous one was announced on October 4.

The next PDA package is expected to be “less than half” of the last security packages, which were all around $700 million, the outlet stated.

The Raytheon air defense system, inducted in 1960, was last used by the US Marines Corps in 2002. The army abandoned it in favor of the Patriot in the early 90s.

The mobile surface-to-air system can intercept aerial targets 45-50 kilometers (28-31 miles) away, at an altitude of 65,000 feet (20,000 meters).

The US is expected to send only the Hawk missiles first, as the launchers are not confirmed to be in functional condition, the outlet revealed, citing a US official.

Meanwhile, Spain has expressed its willingness to send four Hawk launchers to Ukraine.

The Hawk system is expected to complement other air defense systems already sent or announced by partner countries, such as the German IRIS-T SLM and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASMS).

Two NASMS are scheduled to arrive in November, with more to be sent a little later.