Thales & KNDS France Unveil 40 mm Remotely Operated RAPIDFire Land System

Thales and KNDS debuted their unmanned artillery system, the RAPIDFire 40mm gun at the ongoing the Paris Air Show today.

Designed for integration on multiple platforms, RAPIDFire now comes in a land-based version to meet emerging operational needs, particularly for defending sensitive sites against varied and saturating attacks.

RAPIDFire is the first remotely operated 40mm turret to integrate the CT40 weapon. Designed jointly by Thales and KNDS France, it features advanced optronics and uses the new 40mm cased telescoped ammunition developed by CTAI (a KNDS France subsidiary).

This solution allows dozens of intercepts without reloading. Its fire control system recalculates the target’s position after each shot based on target movement. The turret can counter a wide range of threats up to 4 km, including light aircraft, drones, loitering munitions, missiles, and surface targets. Its 40mm cannon is compatible with all telescoped ammunition types, including the A3B “airburst” round, particularly effective in anti-air roles.

The A3B (Anti-Aerial AirBurst) round is currently under development (TRL5 achieved) and will enable the full anti-air capabilities of the RAPIDFire system by 2027. 

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.

The RAPIDFire Land comes 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.