The British Army will soon see its Coyote six-wheeled tactical vehicles equipped with 105-millimeter Howitzer weapon systems.
The Coyote is currently equipped with the Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon, currently used by Ukraine to destroy Russian tanks.
Although the armored vehicle already has a powerful weapon, British Army experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria reportedly highlighted the need for the Coyote to have additional firepower.
“There has been increasing concern that Special Forces have felt underpowered, and this was especially noticed in Syria,” a senior official said. “The plan is to mount the gun on a Coyote, the six-wheeled platform we used in Afghanistan, which has the capacity to carry the gun and ammunition.”
The UK currently operates a towed 105-millimeter Howitzer called the L118 light gun. However, it is not suitable for Coyote vehicles due to its weight and recoil.
‘Providing Huge Firepower’
Lighter than many other weapon systems, the Howitzer is designed to provide direct and indirect fire support to soldiers.
It can fire all standard NATO 105-millimeter ammunition such as M1 high explosive rounds, M913 high explosive rocket-assisted shells, and M314 illuminating star shells.
The Hawkeye 105-millimeter weapon system is a modular howitzer designed to be integrated into various combat transports, including the Coyote.
The M119 variant has an improved firing rate of six rounds per minute and a standard firing range of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles).
“If finally adopted after trials, it will provide huge firepower to special forces in a mobile configuration in a way that has never been experienced before and we should reasonably expect a limited number to be in service within the next two years,” the senior official explained.
The Coyote
Based on the HMT 600 6×6 chassis, the Coyote is a larger derivative of the Jackal 2 high-mobility weapons platform patrol and reconnaissance vehicle.
It features an extra two wheels to allow transportation of more supplies and equipment in harsh terrain.
The vehicle can carry one more crew member than the Jackal 2, but offers similar protection systems, armament, and propulsion.
The British Army currently operates 70 Coyote lightweight tactical vehicles.
