Rheinmetall test-fires kamikaze drone from truck-mounted launcher

Rheinmetall launched its FV-014 loitering munition from a Containerized Missile Launcher mounted on an HX truck for the first time, the company said, completing both stationary and moving launches during a customer demonstration.

The test took place in July 2026 at the National Test Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems at the German Aerospace Centre in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt. The system carried out simulated operational profiles and attack flights during the demonstration. Both the FV-014 and the Containerized Missile Launcher are Rheinmetall in-house developments.

Rheinmetall first unveiled the Containerized Missile Launcher publicly at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris in June 2026. The company has said the launcher, built from a standard 20-foot ISO shipping container, can hold up to 18 FV-014 munitions and can be deployed statically or mounted on platforms including Rheinmetall’s HX-series truck, rail cars or naval vessels. The July test at Cochstedt marked the first time the system launched from a truck while both stationary and in motion.

The FV-014 has a launch weight of about 22 kilograms (49 pounds), including a payload of roughly six kilograms (13 pounds). It carries a High-Explosive Dual Purpose warhead capable of penetrating more than 600 millimeters (24 inches) of solid armor steel, and Rheinmetall said the weapon is effective against both armored and unarmored targets as well as infrastructure.

The munition has an operational range of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) and a flight duration of up to 70 minutes. Rheinmetall said an electrically powered propeller keeps the aircraft quiet during approach, and the system is designed to reduce its radar and infrared signature. After launch from the container using a booster, the FV-014 unfolds its wings and transitions into aerodynamic flight.

An operator controls the FV-014 from a ground station with what Rheinmetall calls permanent human-in-the-loop control, meaning a person must authorize each strike and can abort a mission if conditions change. Rheinmetall said the system is built to withstand GNSS interference through a high degree of autonomy, allowing it to operate in contested electronic warfare environments. Beyond individual strikes, the FV-014 supports swarm operations, letting operators engage multiple targets simultaneously or overwhelm enemy air defenses by forcing them to respond to more threats than they can track.

Rheinmetall said the Containerized Missile Launcher connects to command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems, allowing launches to be triggered locally, by radio link or by satellite communication. The launcher includes its own power supply for extended operation in remote areas and uses commercial off-the-shelf components to reduce lifecycle costs. Rheinmetall also said the system includes a “sleeper” capability that allows it to be activated remotely after being positioned in the field.

Germany’s Bundeswehr has already ordered FV-014 systems, which are expected to equip Panzerbrigade 45, Germany’s armored brigade stationed in Lithuania, starting in 2027, according to Rheinmetall’s April 2026 contract announcement. The brigade is Germany’s first permanent combat formation deployed abroad since the Cold War. Rheinmetall said it plans to expand FV-014 deployment to mobile land vehicle platforms and seagoing units in the future.