Franco-German defense giant Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter (KNDS) have unveiled a new main battle tank for European customers at the 2026 Eurosatory trade show.

KNDS, in case you are unaware, is a conglomeration of the companies behind the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc main battle tanks (MBTs). Today, they are a “pan-European land defense company, uniting over 11,000 employees with a €4.4 billion in revenue and a backlog of €33.1 billion in 2025.”

The new tank, called the CAPINT (“Intermediate Capability”), is effectively a Leopard 2A8 hull with a futuristic unmanned turret, integration with robotic vehicles, and drones.

According to KNDS, this will be something of a stopgap for France’s planned Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which is taking a long time to arrive. So, the idea goes, instead of waiting until 2040, this new tank should be deployable during the 2030s.

Its chassis, reportedly, offers the new tank proven mobility and armor, while also benefiting from the existing logistics chain and lower development risk. It also provides the tank with a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) diesel engine, which is the same power class as current Western MBTs.

The power plant might also be supplemented with battery packs (to enhance the onboard energy storage) along with an associated electric drive train to reduce the infrared and acoustic signatures.

KNDS’ new toys for Europe

The most interesting part is the crewless turret. Unlike conventional MBT turrets, no crew sits inside the turret itself. Instead, it is remotely operated, allowing the crew to remain protected within the hull.

As no crew needs to be present, this enables the turret to be smaller and lighter. But this doesn’t mean the tank will be without serious firepower.

According to reports, the tank will come with a KNDS ASCALON 120 mm smoothbore gun with an autoloader. This makes it compatible with the current NATO standard ammunition stockpiles.

KNDS does note, however, that this can be upgraded to larger calibers in the future without the need to redesign the entire turret. The scalable design also gives KNDS room to introduce larger calibers in the future, should battlefield requirements change.

All fairly standard so far, but an interesting wrinkle in the design is plans to give it some drone buddies. Robotic vehicles and drones will fight alongside the tank, forming a manned-unmanned team. In this configuration, the tank will act as an armored command platform.

Few concrete details have been released, but this will likely include reconnaissance drones to scout ahead and counter-drone systems for protection. The counter drone systems are likely to employ a mix of hard kill and soft kill means. These might include active protection systems and tube-launched interceptor drones.

Next iteration of Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 study

Separately, KNDS also presented a further development of its fully self-financed study on Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0. It features a remote-controlled turret and a three-man crew.

The concept revolves around an innovative, unmanned turret with its unique weapon mounting, this prevents the weapon from dipping into the vehicle, thus creating a possibility of freeing up space inside the hull.

The compact crew arrangement also reduces the armor protection volume, leading to weight reduction. This results in an improved power-to-weight ratio, which in-turn increases tactical mobility.

The Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 can integrate different gun calibers from 120 mm, 130 mm, to 140 mm. It also incorporates an advanced secondary armament to counter the persistent threat of drone swarms.

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Chinese defense supplier Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology has unveiled a new man-portable. anti-drone laser weapon. Unveiled at the Defence Information Equipment and Technology Exhibition 2026 in Beijing, the miniaturized directed-energy weapon brings to life something once thought not possible.

The new system is part of the “Lijian” (roughly translated as “sharp swords”) range of lasers, which can allegedly shoot down drones at ranges up to 3,900 feet (1,200 meters). Being much smaller, this new portable version can’t quite reach those ranges, however.

Like its bigger brothers, the new system works by focusing a laser beam on a distant target, like a drone. The beam can then burn through wires, damage sensors and cameras, or overheat battery packs.

The theory is that once a critical part fails, the drone crashes. This capability is something many militaries are already rushing to develop, but the real breakthrough here is the unit’s size and weight.

According to reports, they are small enough for a single soldier to manipulate in the field. The Lijian II, for example, comes in at around 66 pounds (30 kg), with the Lijian III around 55 pounds (25 kg).

Man-portable laser power

To put that into perspective, that is roughly equivalent to carrying a machine gun plus ammunition and batteries. Still heavy, but much lighter than vehicle-mounted systems.

In the field, such systems would likely comprise a backpack that contains batteries and cooling systems. The soldier can then deploy the platform, which then tracks and targets drones visually or with optics.

All well and good, but lasers of this kind generally need a lot of power to actually work. While no technical details have been publicly released, laser weapons typically require between 20 and 50 kW.

They also require beefy cooling systems. This appears to have been solved, with reports being circulated that claim it can cool down in under 5 seconds. But again, how this was achieved has not been made public.

This all sounds impressive enough, but even futuristic weapons like lasers are not foolproof on the battlefield. They are, for example, highly susceptible to changes in weather like rain and fog, and other battlefield conditions like smoke, dust, etc.

Any of these can scatter the laser beam, subsequently dropping its effectiveness against a target. Lasers are also highly reliant on “line of sight” and must be able to see a target to hit it.

Gimmick or game-changer?

Any obstacles in the way, like buildings, hills, trees, etc, render them ineffective. There is also the issue that lasers must remain “locked” to a target for some time to be effective.

Ballistic weapons, like guns, deliver their full destructive potential on contact, while lasers need some time to do the damage. A fast-moving or maneuvering drone could, in theory, make this harder.

It is also not clear how such a small system could handle drone swarm attacks. Whatever the case may be, the new system could be an interesting evolution in anti-drone warfare.

If systems like this prove reliable, infantry units may eventually carry laser anti-drone weapons in the same way they carry machine guns or anti-tank missiles today.

The Spanish Navy has carried out a successful at-sea test of the Hornet Block 1 interceptor, a new system designed to counter the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms. The trial was conducted aboard the frigate F-81 Santa María and represents a significant step toward enhancing naval defenses against increasingly common low-cost aerial threats.

The demonstration involved launching a Hornet Block 1 interceptor from a containerized launcher temporarily installed on the vessel. Unlike conventional missile systems that often require extensive ship modifications, the Hornet concept is built around modular launch containers that can be integrated onto existing platforms with minimal changes. This flexibility could allow navies to rapidly expand their defensive capabilities without undertaking expensive modernization programs.

Optimized for the interception of subsonic drones

Developed by European defense technology firm Destinus, the Hornet Block 1 is optimized for the interception of subsonic drones and coordinated drone attacks. The system is intended to provide warships with a dedicated layer of protection against unmanned threats, reducing the need to employ high-value surface-to-air missiles against relatively inexpensive targets.

According to the company, the interceptor combines multiple guidance methods to ensure effectiveness in contested environments. During flight, it can utilize radar-based navigation and then transition to autonomous target engagement using a combination of onboard sensors. This design is intended to maintain operational effectiveness even in scenarios where satellite navigation signals are disrupted or unavailable.

Comparatively long engagement range

One of the Hornet Block 1’s key advantages is its comparatively long engagement range, reported to exceed 75 kilometers. The interceptor carries a small payload tailored for neutralizing drones and similar aerial targets while maintaining a compact and cost-effective design. Such characteristics make it particularly suitable for defending ships against massed UAV attacks.

The successful trial aboard the Santa María-class frigate is noteworthy because the class dates back several decades. Demonstrating the system on an older vessel suggests that similar ships could receive enhanced counter-drone capabilities without requiring major structural upgrades. This could be especially attractive for navies seeking affordable solutions to emerging threats.

Containerized interceptor

Interest in counter-drone systems has grown sharply in recent years as conflicts around the world have highlighted the effectiveness of UAVs in both surveillance and strike roles. Naval forces are increasingly looking for ways to defeat large numbers of drones without exhausting expensive missile inventories. Containerized interceptors such as the Hornet offer a potential answer by providing a lower-cost defensive option that can be deployed across a wide range of platforms.

Destinus is also working on a more advanced successor known as the Hornet Block 2. The future variant is expected to feature greater range, a larger payload, and expanded mission capabilities, including both air-defense and precision-strike roles. The company has indicated that advanced networking and artificial intelligence technologies may play a role in enabling coordinated operations between multiple interceptors.

European defense technology company Destinus has manufactured its 1,000th T150 turbojet engine.

The engine powers the Ruta B1 and Ruta B2 cruise missile family. This milestone is enabled by the company`s vertically integrated approach to propulsion, which removes supply chain and geopolitical risks and strengthens Europe’s capability to produce cruise-class propulsion systems at an industrial scale.

The wider supply chain context

Destinus produces compact turbojet engines in a thrust class suited to expendable aerial platforms and autonomous systems. The market for such propulsion units has expanded rapidly alongside growing procurement of one-way attack drones and aerial target systems by NATO-aligned militaries. The company’s manufacturing base in Europe positions it to serve defense contractors seeking supply chains outside of U.S. or Asian sources, a consideration that has become increasingly relevant given export control regimes and industrial policy shifts across the continent.

The 1,000-unit figure is meaningful in manufacturing terms. Turbojet engines involve precision machining of turbine discs, combustion chambers, and compressor blades — components that demand tight tolerances and consistent metallurgical quality at elevated temperatures. Reaching four-digit production volume indicates that Destinus has moved beyond prototype or low-rate initial production into a process capable of repeatable, quality-controlled output.

Sidney Berndt, Destinus’ Chief Manufacturing Officer said, “Producing one engine is engineering. Producing a thousand is industrial capability.” .

“The T150 was built from scratch. The design, tooling, test infrastructure, supply chain and quality control were all developed and are owned by Destinus. What you see here is not a prototype line. It is a European production system that can sustain the production of thousands of missile systems per year.”

According to the company, the T150 production line is designed for continuous ramp-up, and is capable of sustaining the current and future output levels of Ruta cruise missile family.

The engine specifications

The T150 has a length of 530 mm and an outer diameter of 245 mm. It weighs 17.5 kg and produces a thrust of 15 kN. The engine features an all radial design for compactness, and can use Jet A-1, JP-8, diesel, and petrol fuels. It powers the Ruta Block 1 (B1) and Ruta Block 2 (B2) family of cruise missiles designed and developed by Destinus.

Ruta B1 has a range of 300+ km and can carry a payload of 150 kg where as Ruta B2 has a range of 700+ km and can carry a payload of 250 kg.

These missiles are capable of flying low-altitude terrain-following flight trajectories, and are designed for stand-off precision strike against hardened and high-value military targets. They incorporate an electro-optical and infra-red (EO/IR) terminal guidance and are capable of operating in GPS denied and contested electronic warfare environments.

The company is also working on a follow on T220 turbojet engine, for powering the Ruta Block 3 missile. It probably has a thrust rating of 22 kN. The Ruta Block 3 missile incorporates a low observable airframe, has a range of 2000 km, and can carry a 250 kg payload.