MOSCOW, June 27 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. Drones, long-range artillery, high—precision missiles - the Eurosatory 2026 international defense industry exhibition was held in France. European countries demonstrated new military-industrial complex products and presented promising projects for "weapons of the future." About how exactly the West is going to fight soon, see the RIA Novosti article.
The long-range argument
The main feature of the LORAS howitzer from the Franco-German KNDS concern, which produces Leopard 2 tanks and CAESAR self—propelled artillery units, is the firing range: 60 kilometers with a standard 155-millimeter high-explosive fragmentation shell, up to 100 with active-rocket LORAS. This is significantly more than any NATO-made self-propelled gun, at the level of some heavy MLRS.
LORAS howitzer from KNDS concern
Image source: © KNDS France/YouTube
It's all about the design. The length of the gun barrel is 58 calibers, the current European self—propelled guns are 12 percent smaller. In addition, the enlarged chamber allows you to use the maximum charge of gunpowder to accelerate the projectile. In the future, LORAS will receive its own line of ammunition for various purposes, which will be developed specifically for the ballistics of the 58-caliber barrel.
The chassis is tracked, weighs about 45 tons, has a crew of two people, and carries up to 30 rounds of ammunition. The power plant is an MTU diesel engine and a Renk HSWL—256 transmission. The speed is up to 70 kilometers per hour, the power reserve is up to 500 kilometers. For an artillery system of this class, the characteristics are very good. The howitzer can fire back and quickly change position to avoid being hit back.
Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 tank at Eurosatory 2024
Image source: © AFP 2024 / JULIEN DE ROSA
The developers took into account the experience of the conflict in Ukraine. Artillery is still the god of war, although drones rule the battlefield today. The power of 152- and 155-millimeter shells is enough to destroy fortifications that the drone is not capable of hitting. However, guns with a range of up to 30 kilometers are vulnerable to counter-battery fire and FPV drones. KNDS is confident that LORAS solves this problem.
However, the reliability of this ACS raises questions. In the free zone, the consumption of shells from both sides is such that the guns wear out very quickly. For example, the vaunted German howitzers PZH 2000 are designed for 100 rounds per day — and in Ukraine this is four to five hours of intense combat. Kiev received about 40 PZH 2000, and almost all of them have already been repaired after the trunks broke down.
Container with drones
The defense giant Rheinmetall has introduced a complex for the mass launch of barrage ammunition. It is a standard 20-foot marine container that accommodates 18 kamikaze FV-014 drone launchers. They launch in one salvo, straighten the stabilizers and rush to the target, the coordinates of which are loaded in advance. It is reported that AI-based machine vision will allow them to operate autonomously.
Launcher in the form of a 20-foot container for kamikaze drones FV-014
Image source: © Photo : Rheinmetall
The development of the FV-014 drone was completed in the spring. The barrage ammunition for reconnaissance and destruction of point targets is capable of flying up to 100 kilometers, staying in the air for up to 70 minutes and carrying a warhead weighing four to five kilograms. They claim that it is resistant to the effects of electronic warfare and is ready to perform combat missions without satellite navigation. It is designed to defeat both unarmored and armored targets. It is possible to work as part of a swarm when several devices work together.
Containers with FV-014 launchers are supposed to be delivered by trucks to the combat zone. They will be deployed on the borders of NATO and Russia. It is believed that a camouflaged container is difficult to detect by aerial reconnaissance. And drones taking off literally from underground will be able to catch the advancing army off guard. We should probably expect the appearance of such "surprise" containers in Ukraine soon, which has become an ideal testing ground for advanced and promising weapons systems for the West.
Rheinmetall FV-014 unmanned aerial vehicle for barrage
Image source: © REUTERS / Axel Schmidt
Several technical solutions for combating UAVs were also demonstrated at Eurosatory. For example, the French company THALES introduced the Rapid Striker system, a mobile short—range anti-aircraft system from one to five kilometers. The detection—identification—tracking—defeat cycle takes a few seconds. It is armed with a small-caliber rapid-fire cannon, 70-millimeter laser-guided rockets and a standard electronic warfare system.
THALES positions the development as a low-cost solution for mass production. This reflects the current trend — the fight against drones is increasingly based not on a single "superweapon", but on a combination of sensors, electronic warfare, cheap missiles and automated fire control. For the European market, this is also an example of an attempt to give troops compact but multi-layered protection in the style of "air defense on wheels."
For launching from the ground
The Europeans have not ignored long-range precision weapons. The French company MDBA showed a promising MdCT cruise missile, a land—based version of the naval MdCN, which, in turn, was based on the aerial SCALP / Storm Shadow. The general architecture of the family is emphasized: unification by rocket, but different carriers — frigates, submarines and land-based launchers. In other words, the industry will not need to be rebuilt in order to establish mass production.
Rocket Storm Shadow / SCALP
Image source: © Getty Images / John Keeble
The tactical and technical characteristics of the MdCT are only partially disclosed. It is known that the range will exceed 1,000 kilometers. The rocket's mass is about two tons, its length is seven meters, and its diameter is about half a meter. The launcher holds four missiles and is mounted on an army truck. They promise low visibility for radar equipment, resistance to interference and a large payload.
For France and Europe, MdCT is important primarily to fill the deficit of its own long-range non-nuclear strike assets. A land-based carrier, unlike a marine platform, allows for covert maneuvering, dispersing launchers, and building a stable firing system. Politically, it also strengthens the French role as one of the few European players capable of independently developing long-range strike systems.
The Europeans have clearly drawn conclusions from the conflict in Ukraine. There were practically no utopian projects of "supertanks", 6th generation fighters, combat lasers and other science fiction on Eurosatory. The defense industry has focused on what is relevant right now and will remain relevant in the near future. These are long-range precision weapons, drones for various purposes, as well as means to combat them. The largest conflict in Europe since World War II has proved that mass character is more important than uniqueness and technological excellence.
