TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Air Force’s Air Defense and Missile Command held a ceremony on Thursday (June 29) to mark the decommissioning of the Hawk missile system, which has been in service for 63 years.

Deputy Commander of the Air Force Lieutenant General Sun Lien-sheng (孫連勝), who presided over the event, said Hawk missiles are the longest-serving air defense missile system in Taiwan, Military News Agency reported. It not only effectively filled the gaps in low- to medium-altitude air defense but also served as a strategic weapon to defend the airspace of the Taiwan Strait, he said.

Amid tense cross-strait relations and military threats from China, air defense units shoulder the responsibility of defending Taiwan’s airspace and protecting the people. He encouraged all air defense units to work together and prioritize national security and the well-being of the people.

The MIM-23K Hawk missile is a medium-range surface-to-air missile produced by Raytheon. It has an operational range of between 45–50 km and a flight ceiling of 20,000 m.

Taiwan began phasing out Hawk missiles in 2015, replacing them with domestically built Sky Bow missile systems.