Germany Tests FV-014 Loitering Munition with 100 km Strike Range and 600 mm Armor Penetration.

Rheinmetall unveiled live-fire footage of its FV-014 loitering munition following a February 19, 2026, trial at Germany’s Cochstedt UAS test center, showcasing a 100 km strike range and 600 mm armor penetration. The system reflects NATO’s push for cost-effective, electronic-warfare-resilient precision strike tools shaped by lessons from Ukraine.

Rheinmetall released live-fire footage on February 19, 2026, highlighting its FV-014 loitering munition during a customer-facing trial at Germany’s National Test Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems in Cochstedt. The 20-kilogram fixed-wing drone carries a 5 kilogram high-explosive dual-purpose warhead capable of penetrating more than 600 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor and striking targets at ranges up to 100 kilometers. Designed for brigade and battalion-level operations, the system demonstrated dynamic strike profiles against armored vehicles, artillery, and command posts while maintaining human-in-the-loop control. Rheinmetall says the FV-014 is engineered to operate in GNSS-denied and electronically contested environments, reflecting battlefield lessons from Ukraine. The company also emphasizes scalable production using modular architecture and commercial components, signaling Europe’s intent to field sovereign, high-volume loitering strike capabilities aligned with NATO doctrine.
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Rheinmetall's FV-014 loitering munition carries a roughly 5 kg high-explosive dual-purpose warhead, designed to defeat armored targets with over 600 mm RHA penetration while also delivering lethal blast-fragmentation effects against artillery positions, light vehicles, and fortified points at ranges up to 100 km (Picture source: Rheinmetall).

What Rheinmetall is presenting is a European response to one of the defining lessons of the war in Ukraine. Modern combat increasingly demands the ability to detect and strike high-value targets beyond immediate line of sight, often within minutes, without relying on complex artillery coordination or vulnerable manned aircraft sorties. During the Cochstedt event, the FV-014 demonstrated multiple mission profiles and simulated attack scenarios focused on dynamic combat employment at ranges of up to 100 kilometers. The target set included armored vehicles, artillery systems, command posts, and other high-value assets. This reflects the operational layer where loitering munitions have proven decisive, neutralizing expensive systems with relatively compact and rapidly deployable strike platforms.

The FV-014 occupies a significant weight and performance category tailored for brigade and battalion-level operations. Rheinmetall lists a launch weight of approximately 20 kilograms, including a 6-kilogram payload. The system offers a flight endurance of up to 70 minutes and a maximum operational range of 100 kilometers, with a data link range of around 60 kilometers. Its warhead is described as a high-explosive dual-purpose configuration weighing roughly 5 kilograms and capable of penetrating more than 600 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor. This penetration capacity places the system within credible anti-armor parameters against side and rear aspects of main battle tanks, while ensuring lethal effectiveness against light armored vehicles, artillery pieces, radar installations, and fortified positions.

The airframe design follows a fixed-wing configuration with electric propulsion. Rheinmetall highlights faceted structures intended to reduce signatures and enable high-speed terminal approaches. The use of aerodynamic fins is presented as a means of balancing long-range efficiency with high maneuverability during the final attack phase. Achieving this balance is critical, as small unmanned systems often struggle to reconcile endurance with aggressive terminal maneuvering. The electric pusher propeller configuration contributes to reduced acoustic and thermal signatures, particularly important in the final seconds before impact when defenders attempt to detect incoming threats.

Launch flexibility forms a core part of the system’s operational value. The FV-014 can be booster-launched from a transport-and-launch container and is designed for integration with multi-launcher configurations, including vehicle-mounted and maritime platforms. This adaptability aligns with NATO’s dispersed operations concepts, enabling distributed deployment across a battlegroup. Units can maintain munitions in sealed containers and rapidly execute coordinated strikes without exposing large, easily detectable launch systems. For coastal or expeditionary forces, container-based deployment also provides a flexible littoral strike option against fast attack craft, radar stations, or staging areas without expending high-cost anti-ship missiles.

Operational doctrine for the FV-014 emphasizes continuous human-in-the-loop control. Operators are able to identify targets, authorize engagement, or abort missions if tactical conditions shift. This capability is more than procedural. In the Ukrainian conflict, rapid displacement, decoys, and camouflage have become standard defensive practices. The ability to loiter, verify a target, and adjust in real time significantly increases strike effectiveness while reducing the risk of collateral damage or wasted munitions.

Survivability in contested electromagnetic environments is a defining requirement for modern loitering munitions. Rheinmetall states that the FV-014 is engineered to operate in GNSS-interfered or GNSS-denied conditions and in spectrum-congested battlespaces. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated how electronic warfare can degrade navigation, disrupt communications, and force continuous adaptation at the tactical level. A resilient loitering munition must therefore combine navigation redundancy, secure data links, and adaptable control software to sustain mission execution despite jamming attempts. The emphasis on electromagnetic robustness suggests that the FV-014 has been designed with these operational realities in mind.

Rheinmetall indicates that the FV-014 was conceived for high-volume production, incorporating commercially proven components, modular architecture, and standardized subsystems such as warhead and flight control elements. The use of digitally networked production lines, automation, and additive manufacturing techniques is intended to accelerate output and reduce delivery timelines. This industrial approach reflects a broader European recognition that modern high-intensity warfare demands scalable production capacity rather than limited boutique inventories.

The economic dimension is central to the loitering munition concept. In Ukraine, relatively inexpensive loitering drones have successfully targeted artillery, air-defense systems, and armored vehicles valued at many times the cost of the attacking munition. This cost asymmetry reshapes battlefield economics and compels adversaries to invest heavily in counter-UAS defenses and protective measures. While Rheinmetall has not publicly disclosed unit pricing for the FV-014, the emphasis on scalable production and commercial components suggests a deliberate effort to maintain cost effectiveness at scale.

For prospective operators, the FV-014 offers a compelling combination of range, endurance, and precision. A 100-kilometer-class loitering munition grants mid-sized and smaller militaries an organic deep-strike capability at the tactical level, bridging the gap between conventional artillery and strategic missile systems. The 70-minute endurance enables reconnaissance, target validation, and engagement within a single mission profile. Rheinmetall’s references to swarm capability and multi-operator control architectures indicate potential for coordinated salvos designed to saturate short-range air defenses.

The Cochstedt live fire demonstration, therefore, signals more than a new product launch. It underscores Europe’s accelerating effort to field sovereign loitering strike systems that reflect lessons from Ukraine while integrating into NATO’s evolving doctrine of dispersed, networked, and electronically contested warfare. In the emerging battlespace, where speed of decision and cost-effective precision often determine operational success, the FV-014 positions itself as a versatile instrument capable of extending lethal reach without escalating force structure or procurement budgets beyond sustainable limits.