KNDS successfully conducts shooting campaign with Ascalon weapon system

The Franco-German armored systems manufacturer KNDS announced on June 10, 2024 that it had carried out a firing campaign in May to test the technical condition of the Ascalon weapon system, including its associated kinetic munitions.

According to the KNDS, several hundred rounds are expected to be fired throughout the program, which began in May 2022 and is expected to end in December 2025.

KNDS cites the alternating use of 140mm and 120mm guns as a special feature of the Ascalon system: a capability that was demonstrated during recent test firings.

Switching from one to the other during current shoots is possible in less than an hour.

The goal of the current campaign is to fire rounds from an Ascalon weapons system integrated into the turret of a main battle tank (MBT) by the end of 2025.

According to KNDS, the innovative Ascalon concept offers a level of performance that current technologies do not offer. It also offers considerable growth potential. The gun and ammunition are designed with an open architecture as a basis for the cooperative development of a combat weapons platform within the framework of the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program.

The KNDS considers Ascalon to be the cornerstone of the future standard for the main guns and munitions used by European MBTs.