KNDS has unveiled Loras, a 155mm howitzer with a 58‑caliber barrel mounted on a Boxer chassis, claiming up to 60 km range with standard high‑explosive shells. A prototype has been test‑fired and serial production is targeted for 2032–2035. KNDS says a larger combustion chamber and a gentler pressure curve should limit barrel wear seen in other 58‑caliber trials; the firm is self‑funding development while remaining open to partners for advanced munitions.
KNDS Unveils Loras: A 58‑Caliber Howitzer Aiming for 60 km Range With Standard Shells
The KNDS Loras howitzer is on display at the Eurosatory defense show near Paris on June 15, 2026. (Rudy Ruitenberg/staff)(Picasa)
KNDS, the Franco‑German defence group behind the Leopard tank and Caesar truck‑mounted gun, has unveiled Loras, a 155mm howitzer that pairs KNDS Germany’s Artillery Gun Module (AGM) with a tracked Boxer chassis and an extra‑long French barrel. The company says the 58‑caliber tube and an increased propellant capacity enable a base range of up to 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) using conventional high‑explosive shells.
Prototype, Timeline And Production
KNDS has already test‑fired a prototype and is targeting serial production in the 2032–2035 timeframe, artillery engineer Pierre Septfons told journalists at the Eurosatory defence exhibition near Paris. The barrel will be manufactured at KNDS France’s Bourges facility, and KNDS says unit cost for the longer tube is only marginally higher than for a 52‑caliber barrel.
Design Rationale And Technical Choices
The 58‑caliber barrel is roughly 12% longer than the 52‑caliber tubes fitted to most recent European systems and significantly longer than the 39‑caliber tube of the U.S. M109 Paladin. KNDS plans to use a larger combustion chamber and a gentler internal pressure curve to reduce erosion and limit barrel wear—an issue that forced the U.S. to shelve its ERCA (Extended Range Cannon Artillery) programme in March 2024 after accelerated tube wear was observed on a 58‑caliber prototype.
Septfons said the design balances higher powder charges and barrel length with engineering measures derived from European experience with 52‑caliber systems, aiming to preserve tube life while extending conventional range.
Automation, Loading And Ammunition
Loras features fully automatic loading and a modernised loading mechanism that incorporates some proven elements from the Panzerhaubitze 2000 but with newer electronics and updated systems. Operational reports from Ukraine have shown that some fully automated howitzers face availability challenges in harsh battlefield conditions; KNDS says it has taken such lessons into account in the Loras design.
The gun accepts between one and eight modular propellant charges (versus one to six for Caesar), giving greater flexibility in range and muzzle velocity. While KNDS emphasises conventional ammunition, the company says the system could achieve distances on the order of 100 kilometers if paired with advanced ramjet or glide projectiles developed by partners.
Munitions Strategy And Partnerships
KNDS is self‑funding Loras development and the associated conventional munitions program, with early‑stage assistance from France’s Directorate General for Armament to validate study directions. The intent is to field a complete family of conventional 155mm rounds—high‑explosive, illumination, and smoke—optimised for the 58‑caliber tube, while remaining open to partnerships for advanced propulsion munitions developed by third parties.
Septfons: 'The goal was to be able to do 60 kilometers using conventional ammunition, so as not to have to use rocket‑assisted projectile munitions.'
KNDS also notes Loras can fire standard 52‑caliber 155mm ammunition, though those rounds are not expected to see extended performance beyond their usual ranges when used in the longer tube.
Outlook
Loras represents KNDS’s effort to push conventional tube‑artillery range without relying on rocket‑assisted shells, combining a longer barrel, higher propellant capacity and engineering measures to reduce tube wear. The programme’s success will depend on real‑world firing trials, long‑term durability testing and the development of a tailored family of conventional munitions.
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