DSEI 2025: CTA 40 CTAS reshapes future of manned and unmanned turrets for land and naval combat platforms.

The 40mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (CTAS), developed by CTA International, is rapidly redefining the role of medium-caliber weapons across manned and unmanned turret systems, offering unmatched flexibility for both land vehicles and naval platforms. Unlike conventional cannons, the 40 CTAS employs a cased telescoped ammunition design that shortens overall round length while maintaining high lethality, enabling designers to integrate far greater firepower into compact turrets without compromising crew space or mobility.
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CTA International now proposes an unmanned turret variant of the 40mm CTA 40 CTAS for future combat vehicles. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

For armored fighting vehicles, this design breakthrough allows platforms such as infantry fighting vehicles, reconnaissance vehicles, and future unmanned ground systems to field superior firepower without major increases in turret weight. The reduced breech size and compact feed system free critical internal volume, giving manned crews improved ergonomics and allowing unmanned remote turrets to shrink their profile, lowering target signatures on the battlefield. The result is a cannon that not only boosts firepower but also transforms survivability and vehicle agility.

The manned 40mm CTAS turret has already been integrated on frontline European combat vehicles, including the British Army’s Ajax reconnaissance vehicle and the French Army’s Jaguar reconnaissance vehicle. Both platforms demonstrate how the system delivers increased lethality and precision in modern armored formations while remaining compact enough to fit on lighter reconnaissance designs. Building on this operational experience, CTA International is now proposing an unmanned turret variant equipped with the 40 CTAS, tailored for next-generation vehicles where reducing crew exposure is a top priority. This development highlights the system’s adaptability to both traditional crewed platforms and emerging autonomous or optionally manned systems.

The ammunition family itself is equally revolutionary. The 40mm CTAS offers armor-piercing, airburst, high explosive, and training rounds, all using the same compact case. The armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS-T) penetrator delivers performance exceeding traditional 30mm and rivaling some 50mm solutions, enabling vehicles to defeat advanced infantry fighting vehicles and lightly armored tanks at extended ranges. Meanwhile, programmable airburst munitions give mounted forces precision engagement against drones, dismounted infantry in cover, and swarming threats — a capability increasingly vital for modern high-intensity warfare.

Naval applications further highlight the system’s adaptability. Lightweight naval remote weapon stations equipped with the 40 CTAS offer surface combatants, patrol vessels, and amphibious assault ships the ability to defeat fast attack craft, drones, and shore-based threats without resorting to heavier, more logistics-intensive calibers. The compact design eases integration on smaller ships, extending advanced layered defense to fleets that previously relied on lighter autocannons.

Strategically, the system’s adoption by NATO armies reflects a broader trend toward harmonization of medium-caliber solutions within the alliance. This standardization not only improves logistical cooperation but also signals a shift toward common high-performance solutions to face peer adversaries equipped with next-generation armored platforms.

Defense analysts argue that the 40 CTAS represents more than an incremental evolution. By bridging the gap between 30mm and 50mm systems, while offering a modular turret integration pathway for both crewed and autonomous vehicles, it sets a new benchmark in scalable lethality. In an era where unmanned systems are proliferating and combined-arms formations must adapt to contested environments, the CTA International design provides Western forces with a decisive technological edge in firepower, adaptability, and long-term interoperability.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.