TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's US-made MIM-23 Hawk air defense systems have reportedly been transferred to Ukraine. 

In an interview on the YouTube channel RJ War Room, former US Department of Defense official Tony Hu (胡振東) mentioned the transfer while discussing the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) package sale to Taiwan. This confirms reports in July 2023 and January that Taiwan's MIM-23 Hawk medium-range surface-to-air missile systems would be sent to Ukraine. 

Hu said that Taiwan sought the more advanced NASAMS to replace the Hawk system because the latter has semi-active radar homing and could be rendered ineffective with jamming.

Hu said the older Hawk missiles can still be effective against modern threats such as drones when combined with Patriot systems and newer missiles with active radar homing. However, he said that faced with China's advanced fighter jets and drones, Taiwan needed an upgrade to NASAMS. 

He said that Taiwan has acquired the latest, most capable version of NASAMS, giving Taiwan a true multi-layered defense. 

Hu explained that Ukraine obtained Taiwan's retired Hawk systems through the US Air Force's Worldwide Warehouse Redistribution Service, which redistributes surplus weapons acquired from one foreign country to another. "We put it in a catalog, and then friendly countries can say ‘I want this,’ and the US will work the transfer," explained Hu.