Nexter is participating in the DSEI exhibition, which is taking place from 14 to 17 September in London.On the KNDS stand, Nexter is alongside its partner Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and is showcasing the CAESAR self-propelled gun in its eight-wheel drive version (8x8).
The CAESAR 8x8 is Nexter’s answer to the British Army’s need for the Mobile Fires Platform (MFP)program. This heavy artillery system inherits CAESAR 6x6 version’s qualities and maturity, which isrecognized for its low logistical footprint, robustness and stealth in operation. Suited to high-intensitycombat, the CAESAR 8x8 chassis carries a larger load (up to 30 rounds of ammunition compared with18 for the 6x6 version) and its automatic loading system reduces operator fatigue. The CAESAR 8x8 isin production at the Roanne site (France) for the Danish Army, which will take delivery of the 14th unit at the end of September 2021.
Nexter offers a complete range of conventional and smart 155mm artillery ammunition, providing 52-caliber guns excellent performances in terms of range, accuracy, lethality and safety. The LU211 shellsare specifically developed for CAESAR systems: they are twice as lethal as M107 shells and can reach arange of up to 40km. Nexter also produces smoke (LU214, LU217) and illuminating shells (LU215,LU216). The range is completed by the 155mm BONUS anti-tank shell, which already equips severalNATO armies, including the US Army, and the 155mm KATANA precision-guided ammunition. Inaddition, a large sample of the ammunition catalog can be seen on the stand: 20, 25, 30 and 40mm CTmedium-caliber ammunition alongside 40, 76 and 127mm naval ammunition, 120mm tankammunition, as well as soft kill and reactive protection solutions.
Nexter is also presenting two scale models on which the 40CT gun from CTAI (joint venture betweenBAE and Nexter) is integrated. First, the JAGUAR armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle (EBRC),developed as part of the SCORPION program with the French defense procurement agency (DGA), ina consortium with Arquus and Thales, will replace the AMX10RC, ERC90 and VAB HOT to better meetthe current and future threats faced by the French Army. Nexter is the design authority and providesthe main armament of the JAGUAR with the CT40 turret, which integrates the 40mm cannon, theassociated telescoped ammunition and the onboard electronics. The qualification of the JAGUAR isprogressing well, with major milestones such as the first firing of an MBDA medium-range missile(MMP) in April 2021, the first qualifying static firings of the turret in September 2021 and the scheduleddelivery of the first units by the end of 2021.
Finally, the RapidFire naval turret designed with Thales, also armed with the 40CT, has been selectedto equip the French Navy's new generation of ships with a close-in self-defense capability againstmodern air and surface threats (drones, aircraft, light vehicles).
Nexter, the leading French land defense company and third European player in the ammunition sectoris part of the KNDS Group. The scope of its business includes as well the supply of weapon systems andammunition for air and naval forces. Nexter also provides systems and protection solutions in the fieldof homeland security. The group continues to apply its international development policy with severalorder intakes in 2020 intended for the export market.
In France, Nexter is fully committed to meetingthe objectives of the SCORPION program, through the upgrade of the Leclerc tank and the developmentof the VBMR GRIFFON and EBRC JAGUAR vehicles within the temporary business venture betweenNexter, Thales and Arquus, as well as the Lightweight VBMR SERVAL.
The group’s range of productsalso includes TITUS® and VBCI armored vehicles, CAESAR® and 105LG1 artillery systems, smartammunition (BONUS), robots, many equipment, as well as customer service, support and revaluation.
KNDS’s 2020 turnover amounted to €2.4 billion.
