On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, the German company Diehl Defence announced that in March of this year it had signed a Teaming Agreement with the Israeli company Elbit Systems for the supply of 70mm guided Euro-GATR (Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket) missiles for the future German Airbus H145M LKH (Leichter Kampfhubschrauber – Light Attack Helicopter) fleet (Development of IRIS-T Block II missiles for four countries).
Image: Diehl Defence
Diehl Defence serves as the prime contractor for the Euro-GATR in Germany and will ensure both the creation of industrial value and the growth of know-how, as well as long-term operational support and system logistics at the national level.
The missile appears to be a variant of the Israeli GATR missile with a range of over 10 km, developed by the American company Orbital ATK (now part of Northrop Grumman) and Elbit Systems, and introduced to the market in 2013. It uses standard Hydra 70 unguided rocket launchers (with up to 19 tubes), making it a counterpart to BAE Systems’ WGU-59/B APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) laser-guidance kits.
The baseline GATR carries an M282 Multi-Purpose Penetrator warhead with a programmable fuze, which can be detonated after penetrating an obstacle. The missile is semi-actively laser-guided and operates in both Lock-On Before Launch (LOBL) and Lock-On After Launch (LOAL) modes.
GATR is intended for engaging lightly armored vehicles, air defense systems, small naval vessels, soft targets (military personnel), reinforced concrete structures and bunkers up to 200 mm thick, as well as other constructions and buildings.
In the case of the Euro-GATR, integration will be carried out either with a dedicated SRL (Smart Rocket Launcher) or with already certified launchers, with only minor adaptations required.
Previously, Diehl Defence partnered with Elbit Systems on the EuroPULS (Precise & Universal Launching System) multi-launch rocket system ammunition program, together with German company KNDS Deutschland. The Bundeswehr ordered five such launchers under a contract signed on February 5 of this year, worth 57 million USD.
On November 18, 2024, the European company Airbus Helicopters (part of the Airbus Group) announced that the first of up to 82 H145M light multirole helicopters had been delivered to the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. It will serve as the baseline model for configuring the attack variant, designated LKH. Other roles will include training, reconnaissance, and special operations support.