Ukrainian troops are testing the 2-CT Hawkeye Experimental Lightweight Howitzer on the frontlines, a weapon not even found in the U.S. Army’s arsenal.

American company AM General shipped to Ukraine its new growth without any prior announcements, the 105-mm self-propelled gun 2-CT Hawkeye which is at present only going through exams in the U.S. Military.

The delivery took location in April 2024 and remained a top secret until officially declared by Mike Evans, Plan Director at AM Normal, as recognized by Defense Web site.

Information Hub provides that the 2-CT Hawkeye is a light-weight artillery units that was established in 2019 as a outcome of cooperation involving AM Common and Mandus Group. In 2021, the U.S. Military issued a agreement for the production of two units for tests.

Even though at to start with look, the strategy to set up the 105-millimeter M20 gun on the HMMWV chassis is relatively straightforward, a somewhat crucial element remains hidden from the eye: the use of delicate recoil technology (SRT), which lets the car or truck not to slide apart just after many shots.

Ontop of that, we ought to mention the contemporary digital fireplace handle program and the rapid emplacement of the technique: the program can hearth the initial shot 1.5 minutes after arriving on the place and depart the placement in beneath 3 minutes. The amount of fireplace is also in a natural way significant owing to the 105mm artillery system’s unitary shots: 8 rounds for every moment for the very first 3 minutes of firing. The M20 gun array for normal projectiles is 11.6 km.

That is, the entire level of the 2-CT Hawkeye 105mm self-propelled gun is to launch a speedy-fire bombardment of the enemy with shells and leave the placement swiftly, regularly becoming on the transfer. This form of manuevering is the only productive way to stay clear of return fireplace in the disorders of intensive counter-battery warfare. This artillery program objectively will take the specialized niche typically held by self-propelled 120mm mortars, but is simpler to work due to the fact of effortless chassis.

Though it does arrive with negatives. Especially, the crew stays without having safety. From this pont of watch, the 2-CT Hawkeye is closer to a 105mm iteration of these 155mm artillery methods as the CAESAR or 2S22 Bohdana. In any case, it delivers substantially much more mobility than standard towed 105mm howitzers.

The really fact that such programs are despatched to Ukraine to acquire a real overcome evaluation is the very best example how sending the most up-to-date samples of contemporary weapon developments to the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a unique option for the brands and overseas armies to receive a reliable summary on technique performance and get for their solutions a prestigious label expressing: “effectiveness verified in combat.”