
ARTILLERY AND MILITARY ROBOTICS: KNDS SHOWCASES ITS STATE-OF-THE-ART SOLUTIONS AT DEFENCE SERVICES ASIA 2026 IN KUALA LUMPUR
Kuala Lumpur, April 19, 2026 – At the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026 exhibition, taking place from April 20 to 23 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, KNDS is highlighting its long-standing presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Building on long-standing industrial partnerships, particularly regarding the 105LG artillery system selected by Malaysia since 2018, the group is also presenting its new PHORIO tactical radio designed for robotic solutions, as well as a comprehensive range of ammunition tailored to current operational challenges.
KNDS, MALAYSIA’S STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR ARTILLERY
KNDS’s presence in Malaysia is part of a long-term partnership. In 2018, the group entered into a strategic partnership with the Malaysian authorities through the order and local assembly of the 105 LG light towed gun. This program has become a major benchmark and demonstrates KNDS’s ability to support its partners in key industrial projects. Thanks to its high mobility and ability to reposition quickly, the 105 LG ensures discretion and survivability in the most demanding environments. As the world’s lightest 105mm gun, the 105 LG is suited for helicopter-borne and airborne operations and demonstrates KNDS’s expertise in artillery.
KNDS relies on a leading industrial partner in Malaysia, ADS (Advance Defense System Sdn Bhd), a recognized player in the local defense industry. Since its founding in 2005, ADS has established itself as a key integrator for the Malaysian Army’s artillery systems, collaborating with several international leaders in the defense sector.
Regarding artillery, KNDS controls the entire value chain for 155mm artillery solutions. Its CAESAR self-propelled artillery system, the global reference for wheeled artillery, has been ordered by 14 countries, with more than 800 systems ordered or delivered worldwide. Proven in high-intensity combat, it offers unmatched mobility, survivability, rate of fire, and accuracy in its category.
KNDS UNVEILS PHORIO, ITS NEW TACTICAL RADIO FOR ALL TYPES OF REMOTE-CONTROLLED ROBOTIC SYSTEMS (LAND, AIR, SEA) AND VEHICLES
At the DSA 2026 exhibition, KNDS is unveiling its PHORIO radio solution for the first time, which ensures reliable, secure, and high-performance communications in the most demanding operational environments.
Developed for ground-based and aerial robotic systems, taking into account the environmental and integration constraints of such equipment, PHORIO offers the versatility to simultaneously transmit critical data: command and control, video streams, voice, and data. This solution, designed for modern battlefields that are disrupted and hostile to radio waves, ensures uninterrupted communications in all environments.
Thanks to its advanced frequency-hopping and transmission security capabilities, PHORIO ensures uninterrupted communications in the face of modern electromagnetic threats, particularly to enable the use of teleoperated weapons.
Its Software-Defined Radio (SDR) architecture makes it fundamentally scalable. Its capabilities can be enhanced through simple software updates, without any hardware modifications, enabling the addition of new features, the optimization of radio performance, the improvement of anti-jamming algorithms, and the integration of new communication modes and customer-specific protocols. PHORIO thus offers technological longevity, reduces obsolescence cycles, and enables armed forces to benefit from incremental capability improvements throughout the system’s lifecycle.
AMMUNITION SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO TODAY'S CHALLENGES
The DSA exhibition is also an opportunity for KNDS to showcase its full range of MATARIS loitering munitions (LM): a new generation of smart munitions capable of being guided remotely to their targets with enhanced precision and unmatched operational flexibility. KNDS thus demonstrates its commitment to providing armed forces with strike capabilities fully adapted to modern defense challenges.
Finally, KNDS is showcasing its comprehensive range of ammunition. This includes 105-mm and 155-mm rounds that combine range, accuracy, and safety, as well as the 155-mm BONUS, an advanced artillery shell capable of detecting and neutralizing a wide range of armored vehicles, whether stationary or on the move. KNDS is also highlighting the 155 mm KATANA, a “fire-and-forget” munition designed for high-precision firing in complex operational environments. Its range also includes 30x173 mm munitions dedicated to counter-drone operations, 40 mm and 76 mm naval munitions tailored to the needs of modern navies, as well as 20 mm and 30 mm medium-caliber munitions intended to equip a wide range of land, air, and naval systems.
“KNDS’s participation in the DSA 2026 exhibition highlights our commitment to supporting the region’s armed forces with reliable, innovative solutions tailored to modern operational needs. The 105 LG howitzer, a long-standing KNDS reference in Malaysia, exemplifies the technological excellence and flexibility we bring to our partners in line with the National Defense Industry Policy sought by the Malaysian authorities,” stated Amaury de Poncins, Director of Global Export Business Development of KNDS France.
About KNDS
KNDS is the leading pan-European land defence company, uniting over 11,000 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 KNDS France
Fanny MOUNIER
+ 33 7 64 26 37 88
fanny.mounier@knds.fr
Antoine MOLLARD
+33 6 62 79 04 25
antoine.mollard@knds.fr
