Infantry Fighting Vehicle VBCI MKII, loitering munitions, counter-drone warfare: KNDS France showcases its operational superiority solutions tailor made for the Qatari forces at DIMDEX 2026

- KNDS France is promoting the VBCI MKII for the Qatari forces, the spearhead of a combat-proven armored capability;

- The first combat-proven counter-air system selected integrating artificial intelligence-based algorithms: KNDS France is showcasing RAPIDFire Land

VBCI MK2: the latest evolution of a system that has proven its capabilities

KNDS France is promoting the VBCI MK2, the only native Infantry Fighting Vehicle incorporating operational lessons learned from French forces during their deployments (Mali, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Eastern Europe). VBCI is adapted to the most demanding operational conditions, including desert terrains on which it has demonstrated the full extent of its mobility, and the range of its tactical and strategic deployability. VBCI benefits from unique protection solutions and unprecedented levels of reliability and availability, being combat proven in the highest conditions of operations.

The VBCI MK2 benefits from firepower adapted to the logistics of the Qatari armed forces and capable of engaging a wide range of targets. VBCI is designed to integrate different turret systems as required by the customer, including 30mm cannons. KNDS Ammo also offers the full range of 30x173 mm munitions, including its armor-piercing fin-stabilized kinetic penetrator round, delivering a level of lethality superior to the rest of the market. KNDS France has built upon the trust of the Qatari forces for the production of 30 mm munitions since the beginning of their cooperation on Mirage 2000 aircraft more than 40 years ago.

RAPIDFire Land, the combat-proven solution for the future of counter-drone warfare

In light of the extensive use of drones and loitering munitions in high-intensity conflicts, as well as in cross-border strikes, KNDS France is showcasing RAPIDFire Land, the first remotely operated 40 mm turret equipped with artificial intelligence-based algorithms. Equipped with the same cannon as the EBRC Jaguar, RAPIDFire Land fires the full range of 40 mm telescoped ammunition, including the anti-aerial airburst (A3B) round, a munition dedicated to air defense. Leveraging the proven Airburst technology of the GPR-AB-T munition, the A3B round delivers a payload of tungsten sub-projectiles with a directional (frontal) terminal effect, offering increased effectiveness against a wide spectrum of aerial threats.

These 40 mm telescoped munitions therefore provide a triple advantage:

- An effective range equivalent to more than twice that of standard 30x173 munitions;

- A 50% reduction in length compared to conventional 40 mm munitions;

- A greater on-system ammunition load and fewer rounds required per mission

As such, RAPIDFire Land benefits from all the qualities of the close-in defense system already selected by the French Navy, as well as increased mobility, both in its 8x8 chassis-mounted version and its 20-foot deployable pallet version. The system offers a load of 140 ready-to-fire rounds, enabling swarm interceptions without the need for reloading. RAPIDFire Land thus provides a protective bubble for high-value units up to a range of 4 km.