Nexter announced that the KATANA smart artillery ammunition successfully demonstrated its flight control capability during a test campaign in Sweden from December 7 to 11, 2020. This success marks a decisive milestone for the KATANA development program.
These test firings, carried out from a 155mm CAESAR gun on carriage, confirmed the maneuverability of the ammunition. All the CAS (Canard Actuation Systems) were deployed in accordance with the simulations. Thus, the shell could be fired along a trajectory that increased the firing range compared to a purely ballistic trajectory.
Nexter Munitions confirms the mastery of this shell trajectory control system, in the extreme physical conditions of 155mm artillery fire. The next test campaign, scheduled for 2021, will give rise to the first coordinate-guided and coordinate-controlled firings.
Dominique Guillet, Director of Ammunition of the Nexter Group: “We are very proud to have met our ambitious calendar and financial objectives for the development of KATANA. We are looking to the future with confidence and continue to make exceptional efforts to ensure that this 155mm ammunition - which will be sovereign, intelligent and very accurate - can be marketed as early as 2023”.
The KATANA ammunition is a 155mm shell that can be fired from all 52-caliber artillery systems, maintaining the traditional qualities of artillery: permanence of fire, all-weather capability and cost effectiveness.
Combining long range, decametric accuracy based on hybrid GNSS and inertial guidance and high terminal efficiency thanks to its specific warhead, KATANA allows to treat priority targets on coordinates in complex environments. KATANA is the only European and sovereign full-caliber guided ammunition. With the KATANA ammunition, Nexter has a complete range of 155mm ammunition compatible with current and future artillery systems.
Nexter, the leading French land defense company and third European player in the ammunition sector is part of the KNDS Group. The scope of its business includes as well the supply of weapon systems and ammunition for air and naval forces. Nexter also provides systems and protection solutions in the field of homeland security. The group continues to apply its international development policy with 69% of the order intake in 2019 intended for the export market.
In France, Nexter is fully committed to meeting the objectives of the SCORPION program, through the upgrade of the Leclerc tank and the development of the VBMR GRIFFON and EBRC JAGUAR vehicles within the temporary business venture between Nexter, Thales and Arquus, as well as the Lightweight VBMR SERVAL.
The group’s range of products also includes TITUS® and VBCI armored vehicles, CAESAR® and 105LG1 artillery systems, smart ammunition (BONUS), robots, many equipment, as well as customer service, support and revaluation.
Nexter’s 2019 turnover amounted to €2.5 billion.
