By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
An experimental US Army howitzer is being used in combat by troops in Ukraine, the latest NATO weapon to be tested under fire in the fighting.
It’s the 2-CT Hawkeye mobile howitzer, a system that a combination of an AM General Humvee and an M20 cannon from Mandus Group. The weapon was developed in 2019, and two years later, the Army awarded a contract for two of them to be built. AM General calls it the most lightweight, highly maneuverable self-propelled howitzer in the world.
According to company executive Mike Evans, Ukraine received the system in April and by early May it was being tested on the battlefield.
The Hawkeye’s cannon is equipped with soft recoil technology, which allows the vehicle to withstand the impact of shooting. It also has a digital fire control system and can fire eight shots in three minutes. With active-reactive shells, the Hawkeye can hit targets 12 miles away.
Last month, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukrainian soldiers are training on another self-propelled howitzer – the UK’s AS90 155mm system, which has a range of almost 30 miles. They underwent a seven-week training session in the UK, and the AS90 will eventually be sent to Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine has proven to be a real-life testing ground for weapons from a number of NATO countries.
Probably the best known of these weapons is the US-made HIMARS M142 multiple rocket launcher. The Pentagon has sent more than three dozen of the systems to Ukraine, and it has proven effective in taken out Russian troop columns, command centers and supply facilities.
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The US agreed this week to send Ukraine an extra $150 million in munitions, including more rockets for the HIMARS.
Another weapon that has seen action in Ukraine is the US M777 155mm howitzer. One of Ukraine’s big problems, though, is lack of ammunition for the weapon. The US has responded by building a factory in Texas to make more 155mm shells. And the German defense giant Rheinmetall just signed a $9.1 billion contract with the German government to make more howitzer shells, a large portion of which will go to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, other weapons that had been previously used in combat are being found to have other capabilities.
One of those is the Patriot air defense system, which was deployed on the battlefield for the first time two decades ago.
Ukraine used it to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile, which the Kremlin had previously claimed was unstoppable.
Former Ukrainian defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov told the Financial Times, “For the military industry of the world, you can’t invent a better testing ground.”
A retired colonel who consults with the army industry told the newspaper that Western manufacturers want to get feedback from Ukrainian troops so they can eliminate shortcomings.
At the same time though, the consultant, Petro Pyatakov, indicated the fighting has exposed some maintenance and durability issues. “It has become apparent during operations that these systems were not intended for such intense warfare.”
