KNDS and S2M Reveal How Legacy AMX-30 Tank Hull Is Repurposed into Combat UGV Fitted with ARX25 25mm Weapon Station.

Unveiled at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, REFURBOT provides a concrete demonstration of how an aging French main battle tank platform can be repurposed for contemporary high-intensity land warfare. Developed jointly by KNDS France and S2M Equipment, the heavy unmanned vehicle integrates a rebuilt AMX-30 family armored hull with the TOXO robotization kit and the ARX®25 25 mm remote weapon station. In an era when drones, mines, artillery and advanced anti-tank weapons dramatically increase the risks for armored crews, the concept offers a new way to deliver protected mobility and precise firepower into high-threat areas while keeping soldiers outside the vehicle.

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KNDS France and S2M Equipment have transformed a legacy AMX-30 family tank hull into the REFURBOT heavy unmanned ground combat vehicle, combining the TOXO robotization system and ARX25 25 mm remote weapon station to deliver crewless firepower and protected mobility for high-threat battlefield operations (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)

REFURBOT is built around a clear operational premise: a legacy tank hull no longer has to end its life as a static range target, museum exhibit or pool of spare parts. Instead, the demonstrator remains firmly anchored in the AMX-30 family, with the vehicle on display based on a rebuilt AMX-32 prototype hull from the same French armored lineage. Leveraging the inherent strengths of this chassis, tracked mobility, protected internal volume, payload capacity and mechanical robustness, KNDS and S2M use it as the foundation for a heavy unmanned ground combat platform. In doing so, they give a legacy main battle tank a second life on a battlefield radically different from the environment for which it was originally conceived.

At the heart of the conversion lies the TOXO robotization kit, developed by S2M Equipment in close cooperation with KNDS to drive a conventional armored vehicle from teleoperation toward genuine autonomous capability. Externally, the system is characterized by an array of radio antennas, GNSS, radar, LIDAR, front and side cameras, headlights and distributed sensor modules arranged around the hull to enable navigation, situational perception and remote supervision. The TOXO suite already showcases key operational modes such as return-to-route, rally-point navigation, follow-the-leader and remote weapon engagement. Beneath these visible elements, the transformation depends on deep integration work, including drive‑by‑wire adaptation, remote steering, braking and throttle control, power management, dedicated operator interfaces, secured data links and safety architectures tailored specifically to unmanned combat operations.

This transformation changes the tactical value of the AMX-30 family hull. In its original configuration, the tank was designed for crewed direct-fire combat, but that model is increasingly challenged by the density of modern anti-armor threats. On today’s battlefield, armored vehicles must operate under the constant pressure of FPV drones, loitering munitions, anti-tank guided missiles, mines, artillery observation and electronic warfare. REFURBOT allows commanders to send an armored platform into dangerous areas without exposing a crew inside the hull. It could be used for breaching support, route proving, armed reconnaissance, forward security, convoy escort, training, casualty evacuation in exposed zones or as an outrider ahead of manned armored units.

The firepower package is based on the KNDS ARX®25 remotely controlled mini-turret. The system is armed with the 25M811 25 mm cannon using 25x137 mm NATO-standard ammunition and a dual-feed arrangement, allowing the operator to select ammunition according to the target. The ARX®25 is equipped with a stabilized day/night sensor head, panoramic observation, laser rangefinder and on-the-move engagement capability. It can carry up to 280 ready-to-fire rounds for the cannon and includes a 7.62 mm coaxial weapon with up to 300 ready rounds. On REFURBOT, this gives the robotic platform medium-caliber firepower against light armored vehicles, dismounted troops, field positions, urban threats and low-flying aerial targets within the weapon station’s engagement envelope.

The choice of ARX®25 is coherent with the unmanned architecture of the vehicle. A conventional crewed turret would add weight, occupy internal space and require protected positions for operators. The ARX®25 keeps the armament externally mounted and remotely operated, preserving internal volume for robotics, communications equipment, mission electronics and power management. Its 360-degree traverse and elevation range from -10 to +60 degrees allow the platform to observe and engage targets from varied terrain positions, including urban areas. This creates a compact combination of tracked mobility, armored protection, remote sensing and controlled firepower without reintroducing crew vulnerability inside the turret.

S2M Equipment’s role gives REFURBOT an industrial dimension beyond the demonstrator itself. The French company specializes in the modernization, reconditioning and adaptation of military and government equipment, with activities covering maintenance, technical assistance, logistics transport, new equipment, used vehicles and refurbished platforms. This background is central to the REFURBOT concept because the challenge is not only to add cameras and antennas to an old tank, but to restore, adapt and robotize a complete armored vehicle so it can operate reliably in a new tactical role. The message associated with TOXO, “Turn any tank into your next UGV,” reflects a broader retrofit model that could be applied to other legacy armored vehicles.

The strategic value of this approach is linked to the return of high-intensity attrition warfare. Many armed forces still hold older tanks and tracked armored vehicles that are no longer suited to frontline crewed combat against modern threats, but still retain useful mobility, protection and payload capacity. By adding robotization, sensors, secure communications and a remote weapon station, these platforms can regain value in missions where mass, endurance and risk reduction are more important than the latest generation of armor or fire-control systems. For European armies, REFURBOT offers a practical bridge between existing armored fleets and future manned-unmanned formations. For export customers operating older Western or French-origin armored vehicles, the concept could provide a lower-cost route toward unmanned armored capability.

REFURBOT also reflects lessons from current conflicts, where the first vehicle entering a contested road, a mined area, an urban street or a breached obstacle is often the most exposed. A robotic tank does not remove the threat, but it changes the cost of risk by keeping personnel away from the most dangerous part of the mission. Heavy UGVs of this type could move ahead of manned forces, trigger enemy sensors, support engineers, carry payloads, conduct reconnaissance or act as armed decoys inside hostile reconnaissance-strike networks. Their operational success will depend on resilient communications, anti-jamming protection, cybersecurity, navigation in GNSS-denied environments, robust obstacle detection, sensor protection against mud and debris, and clear rules for remote weapon employment.

REFURBOT demonstrates that obsolescence can be challenged when armor, robotics and modular firepower are combined in a coherent package. By transforming an AMX-30 family armored platform into an unmanned vehicle fitted with TOXO and ARX®25, KNDS France and S2M Equipment present a practical answer to one of the main questions facing modern land forces: how to keep armored mass on the battlefield while reducing crew exposure. The result is not simply an old tank with new sensors, but a credible model for the next stage of land robotics, where legacy vehicles receive a second operational life as unmanned combat platforms adapted to high-risk missions.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.