Rheinmetall Will Be at DSEI 2023 with the Motto: Move – Sense – Strike
Under the motto Move – Sense – Strike, German defence company Rheinmetall will be presenting a wide array of its extensive range of products, systems and activities for the digitalised battlefields of tomorrow at DSEI 2023, which is taking place in London on September 12 to 15. At this year’s edition, Rheinmetall will be showcasing, among other things:
Boxer MIV: Rheinmetall and the joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) will be informing visitors about their share in the British Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle Programme. Also on display at the Rheinmetall stand: the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) variant of Boxer, together with a Skyranger Air Defence System Mission Module. On the British Army’s stand, there will also be a Boxer configured as a command vehicle (C2) – a version developed in the United Kingdom.
Challenger 3 upgrade programme: In spring, the test firings of the L55A1 120mm smoothbore gun in the performance-enhanced Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank were successfully completed. Rheinmetall and RBSL look forward to discussing this and other current aspects of the programme in London.
Caracal airmobile vehicle platform: Together with Mercedes-Benz and ACS Armoured Car Systems GmbH, Rheinmetall now offers the Caracal, a versatile, high-mobility family of 4×4 vehicles designed for light units such as airmobile formations and special operations forces. The German and Dutch armed forces have selected the new airmobile vehicle family, one of the biggest procurement projects of its kind.
Lynx KF41: Rheinmetall’s next-generation infantry fighting vehicle will be on show in London, armed with an MK30-2/ABM automatic cannon and a Main Sensor Slaved Armament (MSSA) weapon station. Rheinmetall transferred the first of 209 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to the Hungarian armed forces in October 2022. Less than a year later, in August 2023, the US Army contracted with American Rheinmetall as part of the “Team Lynx” contractor team for phases 3 and 4 of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), a major procurement project also referred to as the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle programme.
Area defence weapon: Rheinmetall is currently developing a new top-attack area defence weapon for an enhanced battlefield obstacle capability. The concept is debuting at this year’s DSEI.
Ragnarok Mortar Weapon Station 120mm: Ragnarok is a versatile 120 mm mortar system. It can be integrated into wheeled and tracked combat vehicles. On show at DSEI 2023 is a towed version mounted onto a trailer.
Unmanned systems and robotics: For the first time ever, Rheinmetall will be presenting its LUNA NG, a cutting-edge multi-purpose Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in the UK. LUNA NG is optimised for long-range tactical target acquisition of objects in real time and battle damage assessments. Furthermore, Rheinmetall will display the LUNA NG as Rheinmetall Combat Drone, a future target engagement system, as well as the capability for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). LUNA NG will support the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the end of this year and is foreseen as the upcoming tactical UAS for the Federal Armed Forces in Germany.
Rheinmetall will also be showing how various integrated unmanned air-supported reconnaissance systems can reinforce the sensor suites of vehicle platforms, resulting in improved situational awareness. A Mission Master SP robotic vehicle will be on hand at DSEI, configured as a carrier platform for cable-less charging technology for unmanned systems, jointly developed with Quaze Technologies. The larger Mission Master XT will also be in London in a version designed for counter-drone operations. The Group’s line-up also includes mission pods for deploying small UAVs from combat vehicles for reconnaissance and target engagement missions. Also on show is Rheinmetall`s Joint Fire Surveillance Reconnaissance (JFSR) System VINGTAQS II. The VINGTAQS II will be displayed on a Boxer Mission Module.
Loitering munitions: On-call air-supported precision munitions bring together the characteristics of drones and guided missiles. They enhance the reconnaissance capabilities of even small units over the target zone, as well as for precision stand-off engagement of emerging targets. Rheinmetall and its co-operation partner UVision, have teamed up to market UVision’s Hero family of loitering munitions in Europe. At DSEI the two companies will be displaying various Hero LM systems.
HX vehicle family: Rheinmetall’s heavy-duty HX vehicles combine outstanding mobility, versatility and – available as an option – excellent force protection features. This enables a flexible operational spectrum. At DSEI 2023, visitors will be able to inspect an HX 8×8 with an automated load handling system. For air defence, a 35mm Revolver Gun Mk3 automatic cannon is mounted on the vehicle’s flatrack.
Air defence: Highly mobile, modular, scalable, ground-based air defence systems are gaining new importance as NATO armed forces shift their attention back to national and alliance defence. In addition to the 35mm Revolver Gun Mk3, Rheinmetall is showcasing a mission module for an 8×8 Boxer air defence vehicle with a Skyranger 35 turret.
Force protection: Rheinmetall’s comprehensive expertise in force protection technology ranges from individual passive ballistic solutions to state-of-the-art active standoff protection systems. At DSEI 2023 Rheinmetall will be presenting its all-encompassing force protection concept, including the StrikeShield module, a hybrid system for vehicles that combines active and passive protection technology.
Digitalised battlefield: As one of the world’s foremost system integrators, Rheinmetall has the expertise necessary for networking a whole panoply of different entities on the digitalised battlefields of the future. At DSEI 2023, Rheinmetall will reveal ways of lifting the “fog of war” through the interplay of sensors, effectors and advanced human-machine interfaces. Moreover, Rheinmetall will be displaying the latest configuration of its Gladius 2.0 soldier system, highlighting how it can be networked with manned and unmanned vehicles and subsystems.
Vehicle Sensors: Rheinmetall’s comprehensive portfolio of sensor products is optimised for all types of military vehicles, including new build and mid-life updates. Exhibits at DSEI include Trailblazer, Rheinmetall’s driver vision-aid specifically designed for hatches down driving in degraded and low light environments, delivering excellent and safe manoeuvre performance.
Also on display is Overview, a new product for highly localised situation awareness, facilitating intuitive vehicle operation and detection of close-in threats and safety concerns. The Acoustic Platform for Vehicles is also on display, which is an established, highly accurate acoustic shot detect capability designed for ease of integration.
Finally, at DSEI 2023 Rheinmetall will be presenting its comprehensive expertise in practically every capability category. Among other things, these include weapon and ammunition systems for threat-commensurate and scalable use of force as well as innovative, networkable sensor solutions. The company will be present at DSEI 2023 at stand H5-110 in the South Gallery of ExCeL London. In addition, Rheinmetall Expal Munitions, a new Group business unit, will be informing visitors about its wide-ranging ammunition expertise at stand H1-152. –rheinmetall/adj/mhi (Pix: Rheinmetall / GDELS)