EUROSATORY 22: Next Gen LAV Cockerill i-X

If you want to get a Panther, you also need a vehicle that aesthetically fits. John Cockerill Defense from Belgium seems to be on the right track: they have introduced a futuristic vehicle to the market, which the company refers to as the "world's first ground interception fighter."

The Cockerill i-X is a lightly armored 4x4 vehicle designed to intercept and combat ground threats similar to an interceptor. While the vehicle was first introduced in March at the World Defense Show in Riyadh, it was showcased for the first time in Europe this week at Eurosatory 2022 in Paris.

The current version of the Cockerill i-X - about the size of an SUV - is a proof-of-concept that fills a gap in the market for lightly armored vehicles, according to Simon Haye, Chief Marketing Officer of John Cockerill Defense. Many small vehicles have open cabins that would expose their crew to the environment and incoming threats. "However, they are more for transporting people to do something. Our idea is to keep the people in the vehicle and allow them to act with the firepower they carry from within the vehicle," Haye explained at Eurosatory.

The main armament of the two-door vehicle could be one of two options: a 25mm machine gun or a 30x113mm machine gun, both capable of holding 120 rounds. Both would be combined with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun with a capacity of 400 rounds, Haye detailed. Another version of the turret, still in development, will be equipped with two to four anti-tank missiles and a 12.7mm machine gun. Each turret is retractable, rotatable 360 degrees, and tiltable from 60 degrees up to ten degrees down.

With a road speed of 124 km/h and off-road speed of 99 km/h, the vehicle can quickly cover long distances to intercept and neutralize incoming threats, Haye stated.

"We envision this as a team where two or three vehicles work together with a drone or drone aircraft for long-range observation," explained the Chief Marketing Officer of John Cockerill Defense.

The 4-ton Cockerill i-X is made of composite carbon fiber materials produced by John Cockerill and powered by one of two engine options: a fully thermal 800 hp engine or a hybrid electric 750 hp engine. The vehicle accommodates a two-person crew consisting of a driver and a gunner.

At the same time, John Cockerill Defense is working on a VR-based control interface for the turret displayed on a helmet, Haye mentioned. When the weapon operator wears the helmet, they can view the vehicle's surroundings in a 360-degree angle using onboard cameras.

While the helmet is still in the development phase, the current prototypes already include automatic threat detection and classification through artificial intelligence developed by the company, Haye added. And the Panther? We don't know yet, but it would fit perfectly.

JOHN COCKERILL DEFENSE online