DSEI 2025: Rheinmetall adds Lockheed Martin missile punch to Fuchs vehicle
Rheinmetall’s Fuchs fitted with JAGM/Hellfire launcher. (Photo: author)
The combination of the Rheinmetall platform with Lockheed Martin missiles is seen as the bringing together of mature systems to provide a capability in the medium term, but trials could be as long as 12 months away.
Rheinmetall expects to fire Lockheed Martin AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) and AGM-114L Hellfire missiles from its Fuchs 6×6 armoured transport vehicle in the second half of 2026.
The curtain was lifted on the system at DSEI on 9 September. As displayed, it is equipped with 24 vertically launched missiles. Using the JAGM multi-sensor weapon, it would be able to engage targets up to 16km away.
Displayed on a Fuchs Evolution platform, a company official noted that it would be unlikely to be retrofitted to older vehicles as the newer iteration is larger and has a higher roof, meaning older versions would require substantial changes.
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The official said the launch system could also be used with other vehicles, such as Artec Boxer, and would only require a crew of two to operate the missile system. For use with other platforms, the number of missiles carried could be as few as four.
The Fuchs Evolution has improved mechanical systems, a modern digital electrical system and meets the NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture standard. The previous version, Fuchs 2, is in service with an African country which Shephard understands to be Algeria.
The official noted that the main deployment of the missiles would be via cueing from other sensors such as Apache Longbow attack helicopters, with emphasis – as with many weapons – being placed on the current battlefields in Europe. In particular, the focus was on the need for ground-based medium-range fires.
The two companies noted the extensive use of both the missiles and the platform, with more than 60 variants in nine countries of the latter in service and thousands of the missiles produced and on order.
Shephard’s DSEI 2025 coverage is sponsored by:
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