DSEI 2025: Cockerill’s new weapon station nears end of development

John Cockerill Defense is finalising its Cockerill CLWS which is the latest weapon in the Belgian company’s expanding range of turrets and remote weapon stations (RWS).

CLWS is currently at technology readiness level 5 (TRL 5) and a key focus is on its ability to be customised to meet the end user’s specific operational requirements.

The RWS is of welded aluminium armour which has STANAG 4569 Level 2 ballistic protection on key elements with passive add-on armour.

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Main armament is a Northrop Grumman M242 dual feed cannon which fires 25×137mm ammunition with up to 300 rounds of ready use ammunition being carried. Unlike some RWS, the weapons can be reloaded from under armour. 

As it has dual feed, two types of 25mm ammunition are ready for use – one on each side – which would typically be one armour piercing and one high explosive to enable different types of target to be engaged.

Empty cartridge cases for the 25mm cannon are ejected forwards and outside of the turret with the 7.62mm cartridge cases being collected internally.

Sighting system is on the left and includes a day camera, thermal camera and an eye-safe laser rangefinder which can be supplied by a number of contractors with final decision from the end user. There is also an option for a day/night panoramic sighting system on the roof and laser warning receivers coupled to banks of electrically operated smoke grenade launchers on either side.

Traverse is electric through a full 360° with weapon elevation from -10° to 60°.

There is also a roof-mounted met sensor which feeds information to the fire control system for increased first round hit probability.

As usual, there are a number of options including a counter-uncrewed aerial system kit which features a variety of sensors such as radars.

John Cockerill Defense was taken over by France’s Arquus and can now market the latter’s Hornet family of RWS. These are fitted to all of the latest French wheeled armoured vehicles including the Jaguar 6×6 armoured car and Griffon 6×6 and Serval 4×4 armoured personnel carriers, which are being procured for a wide variety of battlefield missions.

The Hornet family is already being marketed for other platforms, including both tracked and wheeled.

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