×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
ARMOR INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
ARMOR BY COUNTRY
VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE VEHICLES
VEHICLES BY CONFLICT
VEHICLES BY TYPE
VEHICLES BY DECADE
COLD WAR VEHICLES
GULF WAR VEHICLES
MODERN TANKS
MODERN ARTILLERY
UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN WAR VEHICLES
Land Systems / Battlefield

M727 Hawk


Tracked Guided Missile Equipment Carrier [ 1969 ]



The tracked capabilities of the M727 carrier made it an ideal component of European air defense throughout the Cold War.



Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB | Last Edited: 11/10/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The M727 is a tracked carrier vehicle designed to transport the Hawk guided missile system (known collectively under the designation of "SP-Hawk". The tractor, essentially a modified version of the M548 series tracked vehicle - retaining its suspension and power train system - was developed by the BAe Corporation and deployed in 1969 as the first mobile, medium-range, guided anti-aircraft Hawk missile system developed for the United States Army. The M727 carrier could field up to three Hawk missiles from its rear-mounted swiveling turret. The rear of the M548 cab and engine compartment was covered over in an identifiable blast shield. The Hawk missile system and its M727 tractor would be assigned and used throughout the world but its primary focus would always be its deployment across Europe - where the threat of a Soviet invasion during the Cold War loomed large and its tracked design could prove useful in the region's environment. The SP-Hawk project was terminated in August of 1971.

When traversing on paved road, she made use of rubber track pads on each track system and make 35mph on road, though less off road. The suspension system featured a "lock" function that attempted to stabilize the M727 while loading and firing its payload. The M727 crew cab was built with a "Roll Over Protective Structure" (ROPS), a safety device installed for the driver to help keep him safe when traversing the expected terrain in Germany. Additional safety and stability design features included a torsion bar suspension system and live hydraulics. The vehicle had a 7-ton cargo capacity to carry the missiles and a 60-kilowatt generator that was required for powering the Hawk missile system carriage. The M727 was built with an all-aluminum body mated to a pair of steel tracks. The chassis had a 20,000lb winch for use when she went into a ditch. It is of note that the M727 missile carrier was not an amphibious machine.

The M727's missile system was the Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk - a medium-range, surface-to-air guided missile munition tied to a variety of radar systems during her tenure. The missile itself entered service in 1960 with the M727 carrier vehicle. Three of these large missiles were carried on a traversing turret of the M727 while an M501 loader-transporter was used to reload missiles onto the turret system. The HAWK has since been largely replaced in the United States Army by 2002, by the MIM-104 Patriot. Similarly, the USMC have moved on to the portable FIM-92 Stinger in its place.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

November 2022 - Spain has committed to sending a pair of Hawk air defense systems (stationary) to Ukraine for its ongoing war with neighboring Russia. This is in addition to the four already in Ukraine hands.

Specifications



BAe Corporation - USA
Manufacturer(s)
Spain; Ukraine (via Spain); United States
Operators National flag of Spain National flag of Ukraine National flag of the United States
1969
Service Year
United States
National Origin
Active, Limited
Project Status
2
Crew
40
Units


ANTI-AIRCRAFT / AIRSPACE DENIAL
Base model or variant can be used to search, track, and neutralize airborne elements at range.


19.6 ft
(5.97 meters)
Length
8.4 ft
(2.56 meters)
Width
8.6 ft
(2.61 meters)
Height
17,637 lb
(8,000 kg)
Weight
8.8 tons
(Light-class)
Tonnage


1 x Detroit Diesel 6V53 diesel-fueled engine of 212 horsepower driving a conventional track-and-wheel arrangement.
Drive System
35 mph
(56 kph)
Road Speed
199 miles
(321 km)
Road Range


3 x HAWK medium-range, surface-to-air missiles.
AMMUNITION
3 x MIM-23 Hawk Surface-to-Air Missiles.


M727 - Base Production Series Designation.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Images



1 / 1
Image of the M727 Hawk
Left side view of the M727 guided missile carrier with three Hawk surface-to-missile systems at the ready

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)