At the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2025 defense and security exhibition, scheduled for September 9–12 at the ExCeL center in London, the German group Rheinmetall AG and the American company Lockheed Martin unveiled the new-generation wheeled tank destroyer Fuchs JAGM.
Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The wheeled tank destroyer, based on the hull of the upgraded Fuchs Evolution wheeled armored personnel carrier, is a highly mobile vehicle designed to counter a wide range of land and air threats.
The Fuchs JAGM is the world’s first vehicle equipped with 24 vertically launched anti-tank guided missiles AGM-179 JAGM (Joint Air-to-Ground Missile) or AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow from the American company Lockheed Martin. Combined with a state-of-the-art sensor suite, it can detect and engage multiple threats on the battlefield at any given time. The Fuchs JAGM is therefore capable of neutralizing up to 24 tanks with a single load of ammunition, as well as engaging aerial targets in quick succession without the need for reloading (New contract for the production of Hellfire and JAGM family anti-tank missiles).
The AGM-179A JAGM was designed as the successor to the AGM-114 Hellfire missile family and shares with it the warhead, guidance system, inertial sensor, propulsion unit, and control surfaces. In addition, it is launched from the same LGMA M299 launcher rail. The innovation lies in its active seeker head, which operates in two modes: semi-active laser and millimeter-wave radar. This enables guidance and engagement of both stationary and moving targets, day or night, in all weather conditions and under limited battlefield visibility. The seeker is intended to be resistant to most currently used jamming systems. The JAGM has a diameter of 178 mm, a length of 1,780 mm, and a weight of 49 kg.
Interestingly, Rheinmetall AG’s press release states that the JAGM used in the German vehicle has a range of up to 16 km, twice that of the baseline AGM-179A, which suggests that it is in fact the extended variant known as the JAGM-MR (Medium Range). The missile is equipped with an active seeker operating in three modes: semi-active laser, millimeter-wave radar, and near-infrared (NIR). By comparison, the baseline JAGM offers only the first two modes. The addition of the third guidance channel improves target discrimination and engagement effectiveness under varied conditions.
Thus, the JAGM provides improved effectiveness against stationary and moving armored targets, air defense systems, patrol boats, aerial targets, artillery guns and launchers, radar installations, command nodes, as well as bunkers and other structures in urban and complex terrain.
The alternative AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow belongs to the Hellfire ATGM family, produced initially between 1995 and 2005 and again since 2016. It is guided in fire-and-forget mode by a millimeter-wave radar supported by an inertial navigation system and is fitted with a low-sensitivity shaped-charge anti-tank warhead with a programmable fuze. In this version, the missile is 180 cm long, weighs 49 kg, and reaches speeds of around Mach 1.3.
With more than sixty variants in service across over nine countries, the Fuchs has earned an excellent worldwide reputation. The latest Fuchs variant features an improved drivetrain with ABS and CTIS, a modern digital electrical system, and a digital vehicle architecture compliant with the NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (NGVA). The vehicle offers a high level of protection against ballistic and CBRN threats. It has also been designed to carry larger payloads. Integrated test equipment (BITE) with interactive maintenance procedures and external vehicle diagnostics facilitates fleet management. The enlarged interior provides greater driving and operating comfort.
Dr. Björn Bernhard, Head of Vehicle Systems:
“This partnership is proof of our commitment to advancing international cooperation and delivering innovative solutions that meet the changing requirements of our global customers. By combining the Fuchs, which has proven itself in service from the North Cape to the deserts of the Middle East, with the precision of the JAGM and HELLFIRE, we are setting a new standard for modern guided missile systems on the battlefield. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Lockheed Martin and identifying new opportunities to drive growth and innovation in the global defence industry.”
“The integration of our JAGM and HELLFIRE missiles into the Fuchs creates a groundbreaking mobile vertical launch system that combines the best of Lockheed Martin’s battle-proven capabilities and Rheinmetall’s expertise,” said Paula Hartley, Vice President & General Manager Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin.