The updated variant of the American 105 mm Hawkeye MHS was presented at the defense exhibition held during the annual AUSA conference in Washington. It is promoted as a combat-proven system thanks to trials conducted in Ukraine.
According to Defense Blog, feedback from Ukrainian military personnel led to various refinements and improvements to the system. Although the extent of its use on the battlefield has not been disclosed, the developer, AM General, claims that testing has been conducted on a large scale.
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One of the most noticeable updates is the redesigned chassis, which was previously a standard HMMWV M1152. However, the system also received a new powerpack and features an improved overall architecture.
Another important component is the artillery module, which is based on the 105 mm M20 howitzer. It uses soft-recoil technology, which reduces recoil by about 60% and ensures improved stability and accuracy when mounted on lightweight platforms such as off-road vehicles.
The use of such developments is also important for reducing the load on components and the chassis, which will extend the service life of the system. The result is an artillery system that prioritizes mobility.
From Defense Express, we would like to note that this is a clear example of how Ukrainian military testing of weapons has led to improvements. Based on the announced changes, it appears that previous Hawkeye variants may have had insufficient stability and limited cross-country mobility.
It is also important to examine how transfers to Ukraine, even if designated for trials, are later presented as a marketing asset for combat systems. It is unclear how this will benefit AM General, but combat experience is generally considered a significant advantage for defense industry products.
Currently, Ukraine has a special official program that aims to attract more weapons for testing. The first participant was Germany's Diehl Defense, known for its Iris-T SLM air defense system, which presented its Ziesel UGV.
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