Ukraine Gets First Access to RCH-155 Howitzer With Game-Changing Fire-on-the-Move Capability

Ukraine has become the launch customer for the RCH-155, a remote-controlled 155mm howitzer that KNDS describes as the world’s only artillery system capable of firing while moving, Marcel Grisnigt, Executive Vice President International Development, told UNITED24 Media in an exclusive interview at the GLOBSEC 2026 forum on May 21.

According to Grisnigt, the RCH-155 represents a major shift in artillery warfare because it allows crews to fire without stopping, increasing mobility and survivability on a battlefield dominated by drones, counterbattery fire, and rapid targeting cycles.

“I’ll give you an example, which is a very relevant technology from KNDS with its launching customer, Ukraine, which is not yet known everywhere in the rest of the world, firing on the move with artillery,” Grisnigt said.

Grisnigt said Ukraine’s willingness to adopt the system reflects the urgency and battlefield mindset driving the country’s defense innovation during the Russian war of aggression.

“For me, it’s a very good example because it shows the guts also and the spirit of Ukraine that they are the launching customer and they are going to use it in that way.”

Marcel Grisnigt

Executive Vice President International Development

He contrasted Ukraine’s approach with parts of Western Europe, where militaries can be slower to adopt unfamiliar technologies.

“That is a lesson for other Western European countries who sometimes stick a little bit into the known and, this is not really what we are used to, and they are waiting,” Grisnigt said.

“Ukraine is using these kind of things, firing on the move, don’t forget it, unique capacity, game changing. Ukraine is using it because they need to. They are in war and they have the spirit and the urgency to do it and they do it.”

The RCH-155 is a remote-controlled self-propelled howitzer developed by KNDS, one of Europe’s leading land systems manufacturers.

Its fire-on-the-move capability could make artillery units harder to detect and strike, allowing them to shoot, relocate, and survive in a battlefield environment where remaining stationary can quickly become deadly.

Earlier, reports emerged that Germany was moving to secure more than 200 RCH 155 wheeled self-propelled howitzers in a €3.4 billion contract, with Berlin aiming to begin deliveries as early as 2028—marking the country’s first major acquisition of the system after it was initially developed for and contracted by Ukraine.

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