In 2022, the U.S. began shipping HAWK interceptor missiles to Ukraine as an upgrade to the shoulder-launched Stinger air defense missile systems, a smaller, shorter-range system.

Since then, Ukraine has received several air defense systems, including the U.S.-made Patriot system.

The emergency foreign military sale is worth as much as USD 138 million (EUR 127.13 million), the official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Despite running out of many U.S. funding sources, Kyiv received a grant of USD 300 million (EUR 276.43 million) in foreign military financing as part of the recently signed annual defense spending bill. The grant money will be used to pay for the equipment, which includes engineering and integration for communications and the refurbishment of HAWK fire units.

In addition, the sale includes missile recertification components for older units, tools, test and support equipment, spare parts, and more.

The sale will require temporary-duty travel to Europe by an estimated five U.S. government employees and 15 contractor representatives to support training and sustainment, the official said. Presidential drawdown authority had previously been used to transfer HAWK equipment to Ukraine. That provision allows the United States to transfer defense articles and services from American stocks quickly without congressional approval in response to an emergency.

The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK—a name that began life as an acronym for “Homing All the Way Killer”—was first introduced in the 1950s as the U.S. military sought ways to defeat raids by high-flying strategic bombers. It was upgraded over the years to deal with jamming and other countermeasures and eventually exported to more than a dozen countries, according to the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command.