The Biden administration asked Israel for the old Hawk anti-aircraft missiles it has in storage in order to transfer them to Ukraine, three Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Israel has so far rejected most U.S. and Ukrainian requests to provide advanced and defensive weaponry to Ukraine over concerns that such a move could create tensions with Russia and harm Israeli security interests in Syria.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western countries for such weapons to help it defend itself against Russian strikes.
Between the lines: Russia holds enormous influence in Syria but allows Israel to operate freely against Iranian activity there.
Flashback: Israel purchased the Hawk system from the U.S. in the 1960s to defend itself against Egyptian and Syrian airstrikes.
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At the time, the Raytheon-developed anti-aircraft system was cutting-edge technology. But in more recent years, Israel has turned to other systems, including the U.S. Patriot battery and its own Iron Dome and Arrow defensive systems.
A decade ago, the Israeli military took the Hawk system out of service. A senior Israeli official told Axios that about 10 Hawk batteries and hundreds of interceptors remain in storage in Israel.
Read more: Axios
