Humvee maker AM General on Thursday said it has made a strategic investment in Mandus Group to accelerate efforts to develop a lightweight self-propelled howitzer system that is integrated on the bed of a modified Humvee.
Terms of the investment were not disclosed. AM General said that the investment deepens its relationship with Mandus Group, expanding its role as a prime integrator for vehicle-mounted weapons systems for the U.S. and foreign militaries.
Illinois-based Mandus Group is developing the Humvee Hawkeye 105mm self-propelled howitzer, which is based on soft recoil technology. Once the Humvee is parked and stabilized, the low-cost, lightweight, modular weapon offers a 360-degree field of fire using crew that is half the size of traditional towed artillery systems.
“Investing in Mandus Group is part of AM General’s core mission to address our customer needs and deliver tactically integrated systems that deliver critical capabilities to our customer,” Andy Hove, president and CEO of AM General, said in a statement.
Mandus Group says the Humvee Hawkeye can fire eight rounds a minute for three minutes. The company has a video on its website demonstrating the “shoot and scoot” direct fire capability of the system.