KNDS strengthens its presence in South America and announces its participation in the FIDAE 2026 exhibition in Santiago, Chile

Versailles, April 7, 2026 – The KNDS Group continues to develop its activities in South America, confirming its long-term commitment to the region. Building on growing cooperation with industrial partners and exchanges with institutional stakeholders, KNDS is consolidating its position as a key player in the field of land defense systems.

Over the past months, KNDS has intensified its exchanges with armed forces and regional stakeholders, highlighting its expertise in armored vehicles, artillery, and innovative defense solutions tailored to the specific needs of South American countries. Building on a longstanding local presence, KNDS notably equips the Colombian artillery with 105mm 105LG howitzers, and supplies Chilean forces with 76mm ammunition. This momentum is part of a strategy aimed at building sustainable partnerships, based on operational support and industrial cooperation with regional players.

In this context, KNDS announces its participation in the 2026 edition of FIDAE (Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio), held in Santiago, Chile. This major defense industry event represents a strategic opportunity for the Group to showcase its most advanced solutions and to strengthen its relationships with regional partners.

Thanks to its proven expertise worldwide, KNDS stands ready to meet the needs of the armed forces in the region. To this end, the Group benefits from a broad portfolio of capabilities.

In the field of artillery, KNDS masters the entire value chain of 155mm artillery solutions. Its CAESAR self-propelled artillery system, a global benchmark in wheeled artillery, is currently operated by 14 countries, with more than 800 systems ordered or delivered worldwide. Combat-proven in high-intensity scenarios, it offers unmatched mobility, rate of fire, and accuracy in its category.

In the field of armored vehicles, KNDS is the industrial prime contractor for the Scorpion program, which defines the standards of modern collaborative land combat. In this framework, the Group is responsible for the design of a range of vehicles including the Griffon (6x6 multi-role armored vehicle), the Jaguar (8x8 reconnaissance and combat armored vehicle), and the Serval (light multi-purpose 4x4 armored vehicle), already in service within French and European armed forces.

On the occasion of the FIDAE exhibition, KNDS will notably highlight its combat-proven platforms, its technological innovations, and its long-term support capabilities for armed forces. KNDS will thus present the VBMR Griffon, a modular all-terrain troop transport vehicle, already in service within French and Belgian forces. On site, the Group also intends to continue its dialogue with local authorities in order to identify new cooperation opportunities.

“South America is a key region for KNDS. Our presence at FIDAE 2026 reflects our commitment to supporting our partners over the long term in developing their defense capabilities and in building industrial partnerships in the region. Our broad and combat-proven offering, deployed with armed forces worldwide, can help address the needs and challenges of Latin American armed forces,” said Olivier Michel, Vice President of KNDS for Latin America.