Rheinmetall Unveils Container-Based Drone Swarm Launcher
Rheinmetall presented a 20-foot container launcher for FV-014 kamikaze drone swarms at Eurosatory, with up to 18 UAVs and a 100 km range.
German defense giant Rheinmetall has presented a 20-foot sea container at the Eurosatory exhibition near Paris that can be used to launch a swarm of kamikaze drones. The new system was reported by Defense News.
According to the outlet, the container can hold up to 18 FV-014 drones. These loitering munitions are able to stay airborne for up to 70 minutes. The system can be moved closer to the line of contact by truck, allowing the drones to carry a payload of up to four kilograms over a distance of up to 100 kilometers.
Rheinmetall says the container’s internal architecture is not limited to the current drone model. Its interfaces can be adapted, if needed, for the launch of more advanced munitions.
Eurosatory also featured another European weapons project: the Land Cruise Missile, or LCM, a ground-launched cruise missile presented by MBDA. The system is viewed as a counterpart to the American Tomahawk.
In May, Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger said the group had started producing kamikaze drones at a facility in Neuss. According to him, the launch of that production line is expected to significantly increase output of such systems.
Rheinmetall remains Germany’s largest defense contractor and has benefited from the Ukrainian conflict. The company expects further profit growth as arms deliveries expand. In 2023, its revenue rose by 12 percent to 7.1 billion euros, while net profit increased by 9 percent to 600 million euros.