Future Indirect fiRes European Solution 2

ongoing

The latest conflicts underlined the need of cutting-edge rockets and 155mm artillery guided projectiles able to provide extended range, but also accuracy. Even if some capacities are still available in Europe, FIRES 2 project will place Europe as a future key player in the world. FIRES 2, as a continuity of the EDIDP FIRES project, proposes an unprecedented approach combining two initially different types of ammunition (155mm artillery shell and rockets) into a single project that stimulates complementary and commonalities at sub-system and component levels. The project will prepare a roadmap to develop this future ammunition family with longer range and higher accuracy within the timeframe 2030, offering an artillery projectile able to cover 60km at least, offering a 10m class CEP and a rocket able to cover 150 km range minimum and with a 10m class CEP. For this purpose, FIRES 2 will use FIRES’ output to save time on the research phase, push forward feasibility studies and perform a comprehensive design of the most innovative concepts for the following subsystems: propulsion, seeker, airframe, GNC, communications command and control, payload, computer vision, computational unit and power supply. Furthermore, FIRES 2 intends to carry forward with subsystem prototyping and de-risking tests on key technologies identified as paramount to reach extended range and accuracy: propulsion, seeker, GNC, and fuze (payload). The critical subsystems de-risked in FIRES 2 will reach qualification in a subsequent “FIRES 3” project (2028-2030). The European supply chain is expected to achieve an EU critical components production capability to setup the industrialization phase for 2032. This will reinforce EU’s independence and competitiveness addressing concurrent markets by creating cost-effective in-house alternatives based on commonalities and interoperability between existing and future technology. This 36-months cross-border project will gather 21 Entities from 13 European Countries, more than half of which were already part of the FIRES project.