• MATARIS: KNDS Ammo’s complete range of loitering munitions, fully adapted to Qatari operational requirements;
  • SHARD, BONUS, LU 211: KNDS Ammo offers the best 120 mm and 155 mm munitions.

KNDS Ammo and the Qatari forces: a historic cooperation for renewed ambition

Building on the strong Franco-Qatari cooperation spanning more than 40 years, KNDS Ammo proposes to deploy its munitions expertise in support of Qatari operational requirements.

KNDS offers its full range of 30x173 mm munitions for Infantry Fighting Vehicles, with a comprehensive portfolio available to deliver a wide panel of terminal effects, such as HE, Airburst, and its APFSDS fin-stabilized kinetic penetrator, offering performance superior to the rest of the market. This entire range is also available with a training round, reinforcing KNDS’s commitment to supporting its partners.

KNDS also offers its 40 mm munitions for RapidFire, whose telescoped technology provides increased compactness and, consequently, a significant gain in ammunition load per system. These 40 mm telescoped munitions, available in all configurations—from GPR-AB to kinetic penetrator and including A3B—therefore provide a triple advantage:

  • An effective range equivalent to more than twice that of standard 30x173 mm munitions;
  • A 30% reduction in volume compared to conventional 40 mm munitions;
  • A greater on-system ammunition load and fewer rounds required per mission.

Finally, KNDS highlights its full range of 120 mm mortar munitions, both high-explosive and illuminating rounds. Fully qualified on the PATRIA NEMO turret, these munitions are available to meet Qatari ammunition requirements in order to equip their IFVs.

MATARIS: the first complete range of loitering munitions, addressing all target types from short to medium range

KNDS Ammo therefore presents its MATARIS range, the first complete French range of loitering munitions, immediately available for Qatari needs. Developed in collaboration with DELAIR and EOS, the MATARIS range includes four short and medium-range loitering munitions, whose warheads were specifically developed by KNDS Ammo:

  • MT-10, with a T-shaped architecture and rotary wing, with a range of 10 km;
  • MX-10 DAMOCLES: quadcopter configuration with a range of 10 km, produced in collaboration with DELAIR, equipped with a 550 g fragmentation warhead, and the official short-range loitering munition of the French armed forces;
  • MV-25 OSKAR, fixed-wing, with a range of 25 km, also designed in collaboration with DELAIR, equipped with the same fragmentation warhead as the MX-10 DAMOCLES; the first combat-proven loitering munition of the French forces;
  • MV-100 VELOCE: fixed-wing with a range of 100 km, equipped with a 2.5 kg anti-armor warhead based on the BONUS round technology.

It is this group-wide expertise that enables KNDS Ammo to design and produce warheads specifically for loitering munitions, capable of neutralizing both infantry and armored vehicles. KNDS can therefore offer the Qatari forces a complete range of loitering munitions covering short and medium ranges, as well as develop a tailored solution as close as possible to Qatari operational requirements.

LU 211, SHARD, BONUS: KNDS Ammo’s combat-proven expertise shaping the future of large-caliber munitions

Drawing on its mastery of tank firepower functions, and on its cooperation with the Qatari forces since the AMX-30, KNDS has also developed and produced the 120 mm SHARD (Solution for Hardened ARmor Defeat) round. It benefits from a latest-generation optimized sabot, reducing barrel wear during the firing sequence. SHARD’s performance has been successfully validated during trials conducted on the Leclerc tank gun as well as on the Leopard 2 tank, confirming its high level of operational effectiveness.

Combat-proven in a wide range of conflicts, KNDS Ammo’s 155 mm munitions are capable of engaging a broad spectrum of targets, under the most demanding operational conditions.

Building on its expertise, KNDS Ammo has developed the LU 211 family of rounds, offering a full spectrum of effects on the modern battlefield. Its HE rounds have demonstrated their effectiveness on the highest-intensity theaters of operation.

Leveraging its know-how in artillery, KNDS Ammo also masters the future of precision artillery munitions. The BONUS round, equipped with two autonomous target-acquisition anti-armor shaped charges, has already proven its effectiveness in Ukraine. Its design, focused on maximum lethality and precision, enables it to detect, identify and neutralize enemy armored vehicles while operating in true “fire-and-forget” mode.

About KNDS

KNDS is the leading pan-European land defence company, uniting over 10,000 employees and generating €3.8 billion in revenue in 2024. With a strong order backlog of €23.5 billion, the group delivers innovative complete mission solutions built on state-of-the art technologies. Leveraging deep industrial expertise and strong partnerships, KNDS develops open, interoperable solutions combining manned and unmanned systems, designed to meet tomorrow’s operational challenges. As a prime contractor, it provides full system-of-systems capabilities, from platforms to ammunition and services, managing the entire value chain and encompassing complete product life cycles

Born from the alliance of Nexter and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, uniting key nations within a single group, KNDS embodies the path toward a collective and efficient future for the sovereignty and security of Europe’s defence by supporting the standardization and interoperability between European and NATO forces. 

Trusted by 24 European armies and 19 worldwide, KNDS benefits from decades of combat-proven experience. KNDS embodies a united, efficient model to enhance stability and long-term security in Europe and beyond.

Press Contact
Guillem MONSONIS
guillem.monsoni@knds.fr
Antoine MOLLARD
antoine.mollard@knds.fr