Gravehawk was rapidly developed to meet an urgent operational need to increase Ukraine's air defences following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly to address the threat of Russian drones,
loitering munitions and
cruise missiles. It was developed over 18 months by Team Kindred, a joint team of the
UK Ministry of Defence and industry partners. In September 2024, two systems were built and delivered for field testing at a cost of £6 million, funded by the UK. The positive response to these trials prompted a request from Ukraine for additional systems. According to the Ministry of Defence, another 15 units are planned for delivery at an estimated cost of £14 million, with the costs evenly split between the UK and Denmark. The system was first showcased to the media in February 2025, after being listed in a package of military aid in January. Official press releases did not disclose the participating industry partners, however a statement from Foreign Secretary
David Lammy confirmed the systems were produced by
BAE Systems. Other than the prototypes, as of January 2026 no Gravehawk systems had been delivered. ==Operators==