KNDS to Deliver New COLIBRI Remotely Operated Ammunition to Ukraine

Franco-German defense company KNDS announced today that it will soon deliver its COLIBRI remotely operated ammunition to the Ukrainian Army.

The COLIBRI ammunition, developed by KNDS France in collaboration with the aerospace company Delair, is designed for a variety of military operations. It boasts an operational autonomy of 45 minutes and can engage static or moving targets within a 5-kilometer radius. The system’s warhead, developed in less than two years, will undergo flight tests at the end of June 2024 in cooperation with France's Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).

KNDS has developed two distinct types of military charges for the COLIBRI and LARINAE projects, both of which were initiated by the Defense Innovation Agency (AID). The first demonstrations of these munitions will take place soon, the company announced.

In addition to the COLIBRI, KNDS is also advancing the LARINAE project. This lurking ammunition, created in partnership with EOS Technologie and TRAAK, features a core-generating charge (CGN) warhead and an operational range of 80 to 120 kilometers with a flight autonomy of 3 hours. It is designed to neutralize armored threats by overcoming active protection systems. The first demonstrations of the LARINAE with an inert charge are scheduled for early 2025.

The LARINAE system is reusable and can be deployed for intelligence missions. Its advanced optronic system enables vehicle detection up to 15 kilometers away during the day and 3 kilometers at night. Moreover, it is capable of operating in jammed environments thanks to its secure radio link provided by KNDS France Robotics, maintaining connectivity up to 80 kilometers.

LARINAE comes in two versions: VELOCE, which features very high speed, and VTOL, which offers vertical takeoff capabilities. Both versions are equipped with a high-performance security system for safe arming and disarming of the military load, allowing for easy and safe recovery by operators.