US handed over the Hawkeye experimental self-propelled guns to the AFU
Ukraine received and is testing in combat conditions the 105-mm self-propelled artillery gun 2-CT Hawkeye, which was previously only tested in the US Army.
This was announced by the director of the AM General program, Mike Evans, Defense Blog reports.
Evans noted that Ukraine received self-propelled guns in April 2024, and already at the beginning of May, they were tested on the battlefield. Before that, the fighters underwent a two-week training and tested the installation for another week. Hawkeye tests in Ukraine are conducted in real combat conditions with real targets.
The self-propelled howitzer, officially named "2-CT Hawkeye Mobile Howitzer System", was created in 2019 jointly by AM General and Mandus Group. In 2021, the US Army issued a contract for the production of two such installations for testing.
The Hawkeye is mounted on an HMMWV with an M20 cannon equipped with SRT soft recoil technology, which allows the vehicle to withstand firing conditions without damage. The self-propelled gun also has a modern digital fire control system and can be deployed in 90 seconds after stopping. Its rate of fire is 8 shots in the first three minutes, the maximum firing range with conventional shells is 11.6 km, and with active-reactive ones - 19.5 km.
The basic principle of using the Hawkeye is to quickly engage the enemy and immediately change position, which is an effective way to avoid counter-battery fire.
Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 24/06/2024
