America Deploys Its Cold War Arsenal for the Ukraine War

Some good ol’ American weapons technology designed to be used against Russia may finally live for its intended purpose. With Ukrainian troops Russia’s soldiers are being killed at an alarming rate by weapons that have been earmarked for the future, the United States is delving into its old Cold War stockpiles to keep Ukraine’s armed forces fighting with new old Cold War-era weapons.

Human wave attacks are designed to overwhelm defenders with large numbers and hopefully take over their position before they can be destroyed with superior firepower. This tactic has its disadvantages, especially if you consider the fact that it is not a very effective one. More ammunition is available to defenders They can be dispensed before the human wave runs them over. 

Russia seems to be using a long-term human wave against Ukrainian defenses because of its inferior vehicles, untrained personnel, and lack of cohesive firepower. No matter what strategy the Russians happen to be using, things don’t look good for the hundreds of thousands of newly-mobilized and soon-to-be conscripted Russian soldiers, because the Ukrainians aren’t going to expend their ammo anytime soon. 

To ensure Kyiv has that kind of firepower, the United States and its European allies aren’t just sending the latest and greatest to the front lines of Donetsk and elsewhere, they’re looking to the past to give everything they can to the war for democracy. This means they will go back to the Cold War when the United States was most interested in the death of Russians. 

The U.S. plans to go into Cold War-era weapons stocks to find weapons used against the Red Army in Europe. It will refurbish them where needed and then upgrade them for use in Ukraine. The HAWK, an American air defense system, is the first weapon to be restored. 

Raytheon developed the first version of the X-ray in the 1960s. MIM-23 Hawk is a smaller and mobile version of the MIM-24 Nike missile.. It’s a radar tracking surface-to-air weapon (SAM) with homing capability that has been upgraded in the 1970s as well as 1990s to allow it to intercept cruise missiles more effectively. Just what Ukraine needs. 

In 1994, the HAWK was retired from U.S. military service to make room for the MIM-104 Patriot missile battery batteries. They were never used in combat. Israel continues to use the HAWK system as do Iran and Norway (who acquired them during the Iran–Contra Affair). 

The HAWK was not used by the U.S. in combat. However, it was used in combat by a number other nations. Six Day War Between Israel and an Arab coalition. The Iran-Iraq War was fought between 1980 and 1989. It was followed by the Kuwaiti forces’ defeat of Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War. The HAWK has a 85% chance to intercept its targets if it is upgraded to the Ukrainian system. 

HAWK missiles are being sent to Ukraine by the United States and are being fired by launchers donated to Ukraine from the U.S.’s NATO ally, Spain. Although the HAWK cannot be used to target small Iranian kamikaze drones, it can be used for intercepting the Russian cruise missiles that have decimated Ukrainian infrastructure in recent weeks. 

Russian strategy changes over time, and there’s a need for more. Ukrainian support grows with itWho knows what Cold War-era weapons may emerge from the attic? The Arsenal of Democracy might bring to light British Chieftain tanks, American F-4 Phantoms, and possibly even some of the older Jeep-mounted recoilless guns.

More information on WATM

The top military history books for 2022

Ukraine will receive these 3 armored fighting cars from France, Germany, and the US.

Three new outdoor therapy non-profits for veterans

Interview with Glen Powell ‘Devotion’ Producer and actor