What is Gravehawk, the new air defence system that could give Ukraine an edge?
As leaders gather in Paris to discuss the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, there's optimism that a new weapon system could give Ukrainian forces a significant advantage.
The Gravehawk, a ground-based air defence system developed by the United Kingdom and Denmark, is the size of a shipping container, and is designed to upgrade air missiles for ground-based use.
The UK government says this means Ukrainians can make do with the weapons they already possess.
According to the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), the system uses the Soviet R-73 or AA-11 short-range air-to-air missiles, which can engage targets up to 32 kilometres away.
The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) said the storage container has a system at the top that uses passive infrared radiation to detect its targets. These images are then sent to a command module.
"With Ukraine under constant Russian bombardment, the Gravehawk system is expected to give Ukraine's air defences a boost, enabling them to protect their cities, troops and vital infrastructure," a government statement from earlier this year said.
Part of a multi-million dollar equipment package to Ukraine
Two prototypes have already been trialled in Ukraine and a further 15 units are expected to arrive in 2025, the government announced in January. Ukraine used an R-73 missile to bring down a Russian helicopter back in December.
According to Luke Pollard, the Defence Minister, the cost of producing and delivering two prototype Gravehawks to Ukraine was around $10 million and was "borne by Australia".
The other 15 units for Ukraine will cost £14 million (€16.8 million) and will be divided between the UK and Denmark, the response went on to say.
According to the UK's Defence Department, the 15 Gravehawks are part of the $220 million (€180.3 million) military equipment package announced by the British government.
The announcement includes thousands of drones, 50 armoured vehicles, and air defence gear for over 100 Ukrainian air defence crews.
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