Press
In an unprecedented move, the United States has begun modernizing its rocket artillery and supplying experimental systems to Ukraine.
Washington – The USA is modernising its weapons arsenal. To this end, it has awarded the defence company Lockheed Martin two contracts worth a total of 1.3 billion US dollars – around 1.2 billion euros. Firstly, the company is to modernise M270 rocket artillery systems and produce wheel-based M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) rocket launchers. This was reported by the news block hard pointwhich specializes in security policy. At the same time, the USA is supplying Ukraine with additional artillery. Among them is the experimental system 2-CT Hawkeye American. This is actually still in the test phase, as the KyivPost writes.
The M142 Himars system, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, was originally developed as a more cost-effective alternative to the M270 MLRS. Both systems share some of the same components, such as the rocket launcher. “The modernization measures will add additional capabilities to the battle-proven weapon system and ensure that the M270 launchers will remain highly effective, reliable and interoperable with NATO forces for decades to come,” said Jay Price, vice president of precision weapons at Lockheed Martin.
USA secretly sends experimental howitzer system to Ukraine
The new 2-CT Hawkeye howitzer is a real eye-catcher. Mike Evans, the system’s program director, announced at the UA Artillery Association’s recent Fires Symposium that one of the systems had been secretly provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in part so that it could undergo live battlefield testing and evaluation in April of this year.
The news site for military topics Defence Blog reported that the howitzer is mounted on the US High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) M1152A1, which was provided to the US Army for testing in 2021. It was first presented in February 2019 at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi.
The 2-CT system is a modification of the US Army’s 105 mm caliber M20 howitzer. It uses a hydraulic support system that reduces the weapon’s normal recoil by up to 70 percent and allows it to be mounted on the HMMWV’s bed. It was designed as a lightweight alternative to a 120 mm mortar – with greater capability.
Initially intended as a self-propelled howitzer at an affordable price for export abroad, the 2-CT attracted the interest of the U.S. Army as an artillery system for expeditionary troops and other highly mobile light infantry units such as airborne and air assault units. The appeal was mobility and the ability to rapidly fire high rates of fire rather than overall performance or range of fire.
New short-range ballistic missile likely to complement US arsenal
The CT-2 can be easily transported by helicopter or transport aircraft and is suitable for parachute drops. The Hawkeye artillery system also requires very little preparation and is ready for combat almost immediately after positioning. The advantage of self-propelled artillery over vehicle-towed howitzers was more than proven during the war in Ukraine, as artillery radars and drones can quickly target them if they do not move fast enough. This is the assessment of the KyivPostThe 105mm caliber howitzer is not as destructive as its “big brother” with the 155mm gun, but can support the infantry outside the range of enemy mortars and is comparable to the Russian self-propelled or towed 122mm systems.
Another positive development for the USA could be the new short-range ballistic missile “Precision Strike Missile” (PrSM). There seems to be enormous potential for the US military to adapt the missile for air launch, as it would fulfill a role that no weapon in the American arsenal currently fulfills, such as The War Zone reported. The armed forces hope to make the weapon operational this year. The missile’s range is at least 500 kilometers, which could be increased to 650 kilometers in the future. PrSMs can also play an important role when fired from the ground, as they are intended to replace or supplement the existing Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms).
Function of hypersonic weapons
So an airborne version of the PrSM that can be deployed from tactical fighters like the F-15 and F-16, as well as larger platforms like the B-52, the upcoming B-21, and the P-8, could be an immense boon to the U.S. military. The PrSM’s smaller form factor compared to weapons like Air Lora could make it easier to integrate into fighter aircraft (and less of a burden to transport) and increase the total number that bombers can carry around, including in their internal bays.
Ballistic missiles typically reach supersonic, if not hypersonic, speeds (over Mach 5) in the final phase of their flight. This speed increases the ability of these weapons to dig into armored targets and also reduces their overall flight time, making them particularly well-suited to attacking armored or time-sensitive threats. Fast-flying ballistic missiles are also very difficult to intercept and otherwise leave adversaries little time to react in any way. (ske)
#USA #modernizes #rocket #artillery #supplies #experimental #systems #Ukraine