The United States is considering sending older HAWK air-defense systems from storage to Ukraine to help it shoot down Russian drone and cruise missile attacks, according to two U.S. officials.
The HAWK medium-range surface-to-air missile interceptor would be an upgrade to the Stinger missile systems -- a smaller, shorter range air defense system -- that the United States has already provided Ukraine.
The HAWK equipment is based on Vietnam-era technology, but has been upgraded several times.
The HAWK system is the predecessor to the PATRIOT missile defense system made by Raytheon Technologies which remains off the table for Ukraine, the U.S. officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Washington would provide Ukraine with advanced air systems after successive devastating missile raids by Russia on Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets earlier this month.
Since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the United States has sent around $17.6 billion worth of security assistance to Kyiv.
