Rheinmetall Presents Vertical Smoke System to Counter Loitering Munitions

Rheinmetall has developed a new vertical-launch smoke grenade system designed to protect military vehicles from loitering munitions and top-attack threats, according to a report by EDR Magazine.

The ROSY VL (Rapid Obscuring System Vertical Launch) is a new version of Rheinmetall’s ROSY family of defensive systems. It was presented during Rheinmetall Mobility Days 2025, held at the company’s military vehicle plant in Vienna.

The system consists of 10 ROSY launchers arranged in a pyramid-shaped module, each angled nearly vertically. When triggered, the launchers fire ten 40 mm smoke grenades in rapid succession, generating a hemispherical smoke screen approximately 25 meters above the vehicle.

The smoke cloud, effective in both the visual and infrared (IR) spectra, is intended to disrupt the targeting and guidance of loitering munitions and aerial drones, allowing the protected platform to maneuver or evade. The smoke provides full visual obscuration within 1.5 seconds and persists for more than 20 seconds. It also blocks thermal sensors operating in the 3–5 µm and 8–12 µm IR bands.

The ROSY family includes various launcher types — 1M, 2M, and 3M — with one to three modules for five grenades each. A more compact version, ROSY_Mod, offers single-tube launchers optimized for tight integration on smaller platforms.

All launcher variants are reusable and can be controlled via a handheld module (MCU), which can operate up to four launchers simultaneously. They may also be linked to threat detection sensors for automated deployment.

The 40 mm grenades are 280 mm long and weigh 418 grams. Each contains approximately 140 grams of red phosphorus, which ignites to form the smoke screen 0.5 seconds after launch, at a standoff distance of 25 meters.

The vertical launch capability of ROSY VL is Rheinmetall’s answer to the growing risk posed by drones and loitering munitions, which often strike from above — a domain traditional smoke systems do not adequately cover.

Separately, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) also presented the new TGS-Mil Protected truck at the Vienna event. The two-seat armored vehicle is based on RMMV’s TG-series military truck platform and is produced at the same facility.