As previously announced, the French-German company KNDS brought its complete range of combat products and platforms to the international trade show EUROSATORY 2024. As part of Zona Militar‘s coverage of the event, we witnessed the debut of the new Leopard 2A8 and Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 tanks, alongside the new versions of the French Army’s Leclerc XLR and the new model known as Evolution.
A standout at the KNDS exhibit is the new Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0, featuring several innovations, notably a new unmanned turret and the new ASCALON cannon developed by KNDS.
According to the French-German firm, “The Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 features a remotely controlled unmanned turret. The main weapon is loaded via a modular automatic linear loader, with caliber options ranging from 120 to 140 mm. Its innovative weapon mount prevents the gun from being submerged in the hull, allowing for a completely new use of space within the chassis. The three or four-person crew can now be entirely located within the highly protected crew cell on the chassis. Ballistic protection is complemented by a proven active protection system and a remotely controlled weapons station to counter drone threats.”
A highlight of the exhibition is the ASCALON cannon, which equips not only the previously mentioned Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 but also the newly presented version of the Leclerc, named Evolution in its 120mm version.
Regarding this new cannon, designed for the future European Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) tank program, KNDS states, “It can fire compact and programmable ammunition beyond line of sight with minimal wear. Due to its scalability, ASCALON© can be equipped with any cannon from 120 to 140 mm. While the innovative concept proposes significant growth potential, it offers performance levels not currently available with existing technologies. KNDS designed ASCALON© with an open architecture to serve as the basis for cooperative development of a combat weapon platform within the MGCS program framework, setting the groundwork for the future standard of European tank weapons and ammunition.”
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