German defense giant tests moving truck launcher carrying 18 kamikaze drones

Rheinmetall, a prominent German defense company, recently conducted a test launch of its FV-014 loitering munition from a moving truck. This launcher, called the Containerized Missile Launcher, can hold up to 18 of the drones in a standard 20-foot shipping container. Each FV-014 drone weighs around 22 kilograms at launch and carries a payload of roughly six kilograms, which includes a high-explosive dual-purpose warhead.

The warhead can penetrate over 600 millimeters of solid armor steel. After launching, the drone unfolds its wings and flies using an electric propeller, keeping its approach quiet and reducing its radar and infrared signature. Operators maintain control throughout the drone's 70-minute flight, covering a range of about 100 kilometers.

The launcher itself is designed to fit on trucks, ships, or fixed positions without significant structural changes, and it connects to command and communications networks either through radio or satellite link. Rheinmetall emphasizes that the FV-014 is built for fast-moving, unpredictable combat conditions, with onboard sensors and network features designed to resist GNSS jamming.

The system can potentially strike a variety of targets, including armored vehicles, softer infrastructure, and unarmored assets. Rheinmettal plans to extend the deployment of the FV-014 to mobile land platforms and seagoing vessels. The test conducted in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt, aims to showcase the system's operational flexibility to potential buyers evaluating swarm-capable loitering munitions.

However, given the typical secrecy surrounding defense procurement, further details about actual customer interest may not be publicly available in the near term.