On Tuesday, April 21, defence minister Mircea Dusa attended a ground-troop exercise conducted in the firing range located in Mihai Bravu, Giurgiu County in order to evaluate a HAWK surface-to-air battery that is part of 1 General Nicolae Dascalescu HAWK Surface-to-Air Missile Brigade.

The goal of the exercise was to train the combat teams in the engagement of air targets which use maneuver against the surface-to-air missiles and operate at small and medium height.

200 soldiers with HAWK PIP III R surface-to-air equipment and C-27 J Spartan, IAR-330 Puma si MiG-21 LanceR aircraft and helicopters participated in the exercise by simulating attacks against the air defended facility and the combat team.

The most important part of the exercise was the checking in live simulating conditions of the command and control system's SOPs for the use in combat of the surface-to-air missiles.
***
The HAWK PIP III R medium range surface-to-air missiles ensure the ground air defence of certain important facilities against attacks of the manned and unmanned air vehicles, cruise missiles and other flight equipment which operate at small and medium height.
Throughout 2012-2013, the first HAWK PIP III R batteries performed live firings in Capu Midia Firing Range; they are currently undergoing a combat readiness increase program according to the NATO standards.

MoND Press Office