Spain agrees delivery to Ukraine of Aspide and Hawk air defense missile systems


According to information published by the "Info Defensa" website on October 25, 2022, Spain continues to provide military to Ukraine including Aspide air defense missile system, Hawk medium-range surface-to-air missile, ambulance vehicles, trucks, and light SUVs as well as C90 anti-tank weapons, light machine guns, and ammunition.
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Spain to deliver Ukraine with Aspide and Hawk air defense missile systems. (Picture source Army Recognition)


The Spanish Ministry of Defense also announced the delivery of fuel, winter clothing and individual equipment, medical supplies, artillery ammunition and TWO anti-tank vehicles. In September 2022, Spain also trained around twenty Ukrainian soldiers to use the Aspide air defense system. In November, another 400 Ukrainian soldiers will arrive in Spain to be trained at the Army Infantry Academy in Toledo.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Spain has already supplied Ukraine with 1,370 Instalaza C-90 anti-tank grenade launchers, an undisclosed number of light machine guns, 700,000 rounds of ammunition, URO VAMTAC 4x4 armored vehicles, 20 M113 armed with TWO anti-tank missile system.

Recently, Spain announced the delivery of one Aspide air defense missile system and four Hawk surface-to-air defense missile systems as well as five generators. According to the military balance 2021, before the war in Ukraine, Spain's army had 38 MIM-23B I-Hawk Phase III and 13 Skyguard/Aspide air defense missile systems.

The Aspide is a medium-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile that was produced by the Italian company Selenia. Spain ordered 200 Aspide missiles in 1985 that were delivered in 1987-1989 as part of a $230 m deal for 6 Spada SAM systems. In 1996, 51 Aspide 2000 were ordered and delivered in 1997-1999 for the Spada 2000 SAM (Surface to Air Missile) systems.

The Spada is an all-weather air defense missile that is able to launch the Aspide 2000 missile which has a maximum firing range of 20 km.

The HAWK is a semi-active radar-seeking medium-range surface-to-air defense missile system that was developed in 1952 with the US Army awarding a full-scale development contract to Raytheon for the missile in July 1954.

The Hawk donated by Spain to Ukraine is the MIM-23B version which has a minimum engagement range of 1.5 kilometers, a maximum range of 35 km, a minimum engagement altitude of 60 meters, a maximum engagement altitude of 18,000 m, and a warhead of 75 kg HE blast/fragmentation.