First photo of Ukrainian forces testing prototype 105mm 2-CT Hawkeye appears

Defense Express reports.

Earlier this year, it became known that in April, the American company AM General secretly delivered its new 105mm 2-CT Hawkeye howitzers to Ukraine. This was revealed in June by the program director of AM General, Mike Evans, but no further details about the delivery were provided.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's National Information Portal Tysk published the first photo of this howitzer in Ukraine. The image was reportedly taken during testing by Ukrainian Defense Forces, likely over the summer. No additional details have been disclosed for understandable reasons.

It’s important to note that the 2-CT Hawkeye in Ukraine is essentially an experimental model, as the system currently exists only in prototype form. The U.S. Army ordered two prototypes back in 2021, but there have been no reports of mass production orders.

This howitzer mounts a 105mm M20 gun with a 27-caliber barrel from Mandus Group on an AM General HMMWV M1152 chassis. Work on the system has been ongoing since at least 2016, though some reports suggest development started as early as 2011. The long development time may be due to limited interest in the vehicle. Its performance on the battlefield in Ukraine may ultimately determine its future.

AM General promotes the 2-CT Hawkeye as the "lightest and most maneuverable self-propelled howitzer in the world." The system has a total weight of 6,395 kg and operates as a two-vehicle setup — the artillery vehicle and a support vehicle needed for ammunition transport and additional crew members.

The HMMWV chassis is equipped with SRT soft recoil technology to handle the gun's firing forces, without which the vehicle would likely break apart.

As for its capabilities, the system’s firing range is 11.6 km with standard shells and up to 19.5 km with rocket-assisted rounds, according to Mandus Group. It is compatible with several types of ammunition, including high-explosive M1, M1130A1, M913, and others.

The Hawkeye can fire up to 8 rounds per minute for the first three minutes, then maintains a rate of three rounds per minute. It can fire its first shot 90 seconds after stopping and leave its position in three minutes.