Rheinmetall Launches FV-014 Loitering Munition From Moving HX Truck

Rheinmetall has demonstrated firing its FV-014 loitering munition from a Containerized Missile Launcher (CML) mounted on an HX military truck — including while the vehicle was moving.

The July 2026 customer demonstration took place at the National Test Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt, and included simulated operational profiles and attack flights.

The FV-014 combines reconnaissance, target identification and precision strike in one system, with an operational range of up to 100 km and flight endurance of up to 70 minutes. It is launched from a container using a booster before deploying folding wings, and weighs about 22 kg at launch, including a payload of roughly 6 kg. Its High-Explosive Dual Purpose warhead has a stated penetration capability of more than 600 mm of solid armour steel.

Rheinmetall says the munition uses sensors, network connectivity and a high degree of autonomy to stay resilient against GNSS interference, and that its electric propeller and low-signature airframe reduce acoustic, radar and infrared detectability. It can be used for individual strikes or in swarms.

The CML is a standardised 20-foot ISO container that can carry up to 18 FV-014 munitions, with an integrated power supply, launch capability at vertical or angled settings, and firing commands issued locally, via radio link or by satellite communications through C4I systems. It uses commercial off-the-shelf components, can be remotely activated, and Rheinmetall says it can operate from fixed positions, mobile land platforms and naval vessels.

Operators run the system from a ground station with permanent human-in-the-loop control: they can identify and track targets, authorise attacks and abort missions when operational conditions change.

Rheinmetall developed both the FV-014 and the CML in-house. The launcher was first unveiled at Eurosatory in June 2026, and the FV-014 is already covered by a framework contract with the German Bundeswehr, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027. Rheinmetall says it plans to field the munition from additional mobile land platforms and seagoing units.

Rheinmetall Launches FV-014 Loitering Munition From Moving HX Truck

Sources