New Vanguard 309 The Hawk Air Defense Missile System Paperback

Description

This is the first history of the legendary US Army's HAWK missile system, the world'sfirst mobile air-defense missile system, which saw service and combat around theworld.Designed to counteract the threat posed by advanced 1950s Soviet-built aircraft, the firstHAWK unit became operational in 1959. At its peak, it saw frontline service in the FarEast, Panama, Europe, and in the Middle East. Units were also used during the CubanMissile Crisis, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf War. In the hands of other nations, HAWKproved its efficacy in combat during the Arab-Israeli Wars, Iran-Iraq War, Chadian-LibyanWar, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.Credited with shooting down more than 100 aircraft during its combat career, the HAWKsystem was respected for its lethality. Such was Soviet concern, that it developedelectronic jammers, anti-radiation missiles, and other countermeasures specifically todegrade its effectiveness. The US retired its HAWK systems soon after the Cold Warended in 1991 when air defense priorities shifted from aircraft to ballistic missiledefense, yet, a modernized version of the system remains in service to this day in manynations.Packed with archive photos and original artwork, this is the first book about the HAWKsystem. Featuring research from HAWK technical and field manuals, interviews withHAWK veterans, and detailing the authors’ personal experiences with HAWK missileunits, it provides a comprehensive study of one of the most lethal and effective airmissile systems of all time.Sales and Marketing HighlightsA key US weapon of the Cold War, the HAWK was the world's first mobilesurface-to-air missile system, and served around the world in many armiesfor decades, shooting down more than 100 aircraft during that time.Featuring interviews and first-hand accounts, this is the first book to tell the fullstory of the HAWK system.Both authors have significant knowledge and expertise of the usage anddeployment of the HAWK system, having served in HAWK battalions.