At the Eurosatory defense show in Paris, KNDS, a Franco-German defense manufacturer, unveiled a groundbreaking artillery system that could redefine battlefield dynamics. This system, featuring a howitzer with an unprecedented barrel length, promises to enhance artillery range significantly, setting a new benchmark among NATO artillery.
KNDS has ingeniously combined its German Artillery Gun Module with a French-manufactured barrel, creating a formidable 155mm howitzer named Loras, which boasts a 58-caliber gun tube. This length is approximately 12% greater than the 52-caliber barrels commonly used by contemporary European artillery and considerably longer than the 39-caliber barrels of the U.S. M109 Paladin. The increased barrel length and an enhanced powder charge allow this artillery to achieve a remarkable range of up to 60 kilometers using standard high-explosive shells.
“The goal was to be able to do 60 kilometers using conventional ammunition, so as not to have to use rocket-assisted projectile munitions,” explained Pierre Septfons, an artillery engineer at KNDS France, during a media briefing.
KNDS is independently funding the development of this advanced artillery system, although it received initial support from France’s Directorate General for Armament to validate its technological direction. Despite the challenges faced by similar projects, such as the U.S. Army’s canceled Extended Range Cannon Artillery program due to barrel wear issues, KNDS remains confident. The Loras howitzer features a large combustion chamber with a more moderate pressure curve, which is expected to mitigate the wear typically associated with longer barrels.
With an automatic loading system more advanced than that of the Panzerhaubitze 2000, the Loras integrates modern electronics and a newly designed loading mechanism. Although operational reports from Ukraine have suggested that simpler systems like the Caesar have fared better in terms of availability, the Loras’s design aims to combine automation with reliability.
The Loras’s barrel, produced at KNDS’s Bourges facility in France, costs marginally more than a 52-caliber barrel. It can handle one to eight modular propellant charges, providing flexibility and potential to reach distances close to 100 kilometers with advanced munitions. For now, KNDS is focusing on developing a new family of conventional shells specifically designed for the 58-caliber gun. These will include high-explosive, illumination, and smoke rounds, maximizing the gun’s capabilities.
“The idea here is to have a complete family of conventional shells, including high-explosive, illumination, and smoke rounds, that can harness the gun’s full potential and fire up to 60 kilometers,” Septfons elaborated. He also mentioned KNDS’s openness to partnerships with other manufacturers to develop more advanced munitions, such as ramjet-powered shells.
