Franco-German armoured system manufacturer KNDS announced on 10 June 2024 that during May it had conducted a firing campaign to test the technical status of the Ascalon weapon system, including its associated kinetic ammunition.
According to KNDS, several hundred rounds are to be fired throughout the entire programme, which began in May 2022 and is due to be concluded in December 2025.
KNDS cites the alternating use of 140 mm and 120 mm barrels as a special feature of the Ascalon system: a capability that was demonstrated during the recent test firings.
The changeover from one to the other during ongoing shooting operations is possible in less than an hour.
The aim of the current campaign is to fire rounds from an Ascalon weapon 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 the basis for the co-operative development of a combat weapon platform as part of the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) programme.
KNDS sees Ascalon as the cornerstone for the future standard of main guns and ammunition used by European MBTs.
