The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded KNDS France a contract for the supply of 40mm telescoped ammunition; Starting in 2026, these rounds will equip JAGUAR reconnaissance armored vehicles and RAPIDFire turrets in all their variants.
KNDS France press release
Annual Deliveries Starting in 2026
Already in service within the French Army, the 40mm telescoped ammunition reaches a new milestone with this major
procurement. The French Procurement Agency order of 25,000 rounds will allow users to further integrate and master this breakthrough technology. The first annual deliveries will include 18,000 training rounds, increasing to up to 30,000 in the following years. An initial batch of 8,000 combat rounds completes this order.
This contract establishes dual sourcing for key components to boost joint production capacity between KNDS France and BAE
Systems in the United Kingdom. This dual sourcing is made possible by the qualification of new French suppliers (notably in Haute-Savoie, Hautes-Pyrénées, Cher, and Manche), enabling a significant increase in production capability.
The 40mm telescoped technology is now operational and deployed on both land and naval systems, such as:
- The JAGUAR reconnaissance and combat armored vehicle, ordered by the French and Belgian armies;
- The RAPIDFire turret in service on the Jacques Chevallier replenishment vessel (BRF), and soon to be integrated onto other ships of the French Navy;
- The land-based version of RAPIDFire, showcased for the first time this year at the Paris Air Show.
The contract includes the serial production of the PPM-CHR (Multi-Purpose Timed Perforating Projectile) intended for the RAPIDFire turret.
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Naval News comment:
Naval News reported during IDEX 2025 about the next steps for the RapidFire program. For the record, this 40mm gun has been selected by the French MoD to equip Jacques Chevallier-class replenishment tankers (2 guns per ship) and future OPV also known as ‘Patrouilleur Hauturier’. The official decision regarding the fitting of this gun aboard future mine countermeasure vessels has not been released yet.
At the Paris Air Show, KNDS France announced that a land-based version is currently being developed in coordination with the French Air and Space Force, which is seeking solutions to protect airbases both in mainland France and on overseas deployments, especially to secure high-value assets.
Thales and KNDS France are developing RAPIDFire Land in two configurations:
- Semi-mobile: A 20-foot platform deployed on the ground for site defense, easily transportable and rapidly deployable
- Mobile: The same 20-foot module mounted on a vehicle to protect high-value assets in theater.
About the RAPIDFire
The RAPIDFire, the first remotely operated 40mm turret integrating the CT40 gun and artificial intelligence, provides the platforms it equips with close-range self-defense capabilities against modern air and surface threats.
It features advanced electro-optics designed by Thales and the latest 40mm cased telescoped ammunition technology developed by CTAI, a subsidiary of KNDS France.
This solution offers unmatched firepower, with up to 140 ready-to-fire rounds—allowing nearly 30 interceptions per system without reloading. The turret is designed to counter a wide range of threats, including ships, light aircraft, drones, loitering munitions, and missiles, up to a range of 4 km. Its 40mm gun is compatible with all cased telescoped ammunition, including the A3B “airburst” round, which is particularly effective in anti-aircraft warfare and which development has recently been finalized by the French defense procurement agency (DGA).
