Air launched Hawk for Ukraine?

[World B4]

Iran figured out how to turn Hawk missiles into long range air to air weapons, and I think there’s a video out there of one on a MiG-29, not just their Tomcats. Ukraine has Su-27s that might benefit from extra engagement range, and if possible force the Russians to utilize R-37s even more heavily to counter them. A Su-35 carrying an R-37 might mean one less Kh-31 to handle air defenses, more drag and weight, and heavier missiles mean bigger secondary explosions when drones hit their airbase ammo storage. Even the presence of the capability, only occasionally used, might hinder the Russians more than it costs the Ukrainians. Thoughts? Prayers? Donations?

 

[Manuducati]

IRIAF putting Hawk missiles under the F-14 was a 80's frantic attempt at arming the Cat with ANYTHING that was available in Iran back when the AIM-54 stock was running out and before they were able to reverse engineer it as the Fakour 90.

Doing the same thing 40 years later would have little to no value when AMRAAM are available in large quantities, far more efficient, already operational with the F-16, and probably with the Su-27 and/or MiG-29 (other western ordnance have already been integrated).

 

[World B4]

The main advantage would be warhead size, but I do believe they also have longer range than nasams, so an air launch could potentially outdo amraams there as well or at least be comparable

 

[Richard N]

A Hawk on a helicopter. I asked a helicopter test pilot friend if he would fly this. He said probably not.

 

[Apophenia]

Probably the best argument against an ASM conversion is that the HAWKs seem to be doing valuable anti-TBM and counter-drone work for Ukraine right now.

Several nation have or are about to retire their SM-2s, maybe an airborne derivative would give you the range that you're looking for and an even larger warhead?

 

[Scott Kenny]

Several nation have or are about to retire their SM-2s, maybe an airborne derivative would give you the range that you're looking for and an even larger warhead?

As long as those are the rail-launched version, I suspect that it'd be a simple modification to make them work from air launchers.

 

[Rule of cool]

The USN super Hornets are fielding an air launched version of the Standard SM6 as a very long range AAM.

 

[MadRat]

Hawks are not anti-TBM from memory. They used near miss warheads above the target. Not very effective for intercepts.

 

[Apophenia]

Hawks are not anti-TBM from memory. They used near miss warheads above the target. Not very effective for intercepts.

You're right, most did not. And I do not know what variants went to UA. But, quoting Andreas Parsch ...

In 1991, the USMC successfully demonstrated the use of a modified Lockheed Martin AN/TPS-59 tactical long-range radar system to search and track Theater Ballistic Missiles (TBM) in conjunction with a Hawk fire-control unit. The AN/TPS-59(V)3 radar can track targets at up to 475 km (295 miles) range and 150 km (90 miles) altitude. Although no actual firing took place, these tests prompted the USMC to upgrade its Hawk units with an anti-TBM capability. The MIM-23G/H Hawk missiles were upgraded to Enhanced Lethality Missile configuration, designated MIM-23K and MIM-23J, respectively (note "reversed" suffix letters). The MIM-23J/K has a new high-grain fragmentation warhead and new fuzing circuitry to make it effective against ballistic missiles, and in 1994, several intercepts of MGM-52 Lance short-range ballistic missiles were successful. The MIM-23L and MIM-23M missiles have the new fuzing circuits of the MIM-23K and MIM-23J, respectively, but don't have the latter's new warhead. The telemetry-equipped test and evaluation model of the MIM-23J/K/L/M missiles is designated MEM-23F.

-- https://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-23.html