A wide choice of terminal effects: The enlarged caliber enriches the range of ammunition for an optimal effect on the target thanks to rods of unparalleled length. It also makes it possible to foresee intelligent ammunition (missiles, projectiles, and other munitions) for firing beyond the line of sight (BLOS/NLOS), which will provide new capacities while reducing the vulnerability of the tank.
Increased firepower: An optimized chamber offers exceptional operational performance with an energy level close to 10 megajoules for kinetic ammunition while remaining below the internal pressure level of current calibers. This untapped potential will enable the weapon to evolve to a performance class of 13 megajoules capable of addressing any threat over the next 50 years.
A controlled blast effect: an innovative muzzle brake, adjusted external pressure fields, and an optimized firing impulse will reduce the blast effect of the shot, reducing the safety distance around the tank, enabling dismounted troops to operate closer to the tank, particularly in urban areas.
Compact ammunition: With a maximum length of 130 cm, ASCALON telescoped ammunition will be more compact than an equivalent caliber ammunition while maintaining maximum rod length. It can be used with automatic loading systems as the current Leclerc tank has, or stored and integrated into new, remotely-operated turrets as foreseen in some configurations of the MGCS.
Lighter Platforms: thanks to a controlled impulse, ASCALON will have With reduced recoil and lower acceleration generated by the gun, ASCALON could be mounted on platforms weighing less than 50 tons while exceeding the performance and lethality of today’s main gun.
For its scalability and growth potential, ASCALON offers a technological and tactical capability that, once matured, could become the standard gun for future heavy battle tanks for the coming decades, similar to the smoothbore 120mm ammunition standardized by NATO in the 1980s. While the 120 was based on German know-how, ASCALON represents a major contribution by the French industry to achieve a new common solution for France and Germany. However, for wider deployment, its maturation will have to be based on the European defense technology industrial base.