Curtiss-Wright providing turret drive stabilization system for the KF51 Panther Main Battle Tank

Curtiss-Wright was selected by Rheinmetall Landsysteme Germany (RLS) to provide its modular turret drive stabilization system (TDSS) technology in support of the KF51 Panther Main Battle Tank (MBT). The KF51, a highly advanced and capable main battle tank, is designed to meet the demands of modern warfare. Curtiss-Wright’s highly precise, modular TDSS system is an ideal match for these newly modernized platform requirements. Work under this agreement will be performed by Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions.

"We're very proud that our ability to deliver end-users with the highest level of technology, service, reliability and quality resulted in our selection by Rheinmetall to support the new KF51 Panther Main Battle Tank,” says Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “This contract builds on Curtiss-Wright’s long track record as a supplier of cost-effective and high-precision modular aiming and stabilization systems.”

Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright’s facility, located in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, will provide Rheinmetall with its state-of-the-art modular TDSS and associated hand controllers. This next-generation MBT features a flexible “future-proof” assembly design that uses multiple drives for one axis, enabling the TDSS to deliver superior flexibility for space claim design and weight distribution. Work under the contract began in December 2024.

Curtiss-Wright’s patented TDSS products deliver unmatched target location accuracy and turret stabilization, while providing system integrators with an unprecedented level of freedom to define and deploy the exact solution they require. It uniquely enables system designers to upgrade and add stabilization functionality as their mission requirements change. The TDSS’s use of standard system configurations speeds system development and enables programs to reach demonstration and production phases more rapidly. The use of preconfigured TDSS system components also reduces the time and costs associated with the requirements definition process.