ASCALON origins date back to the FTMA (Future Tank Main Armament) NATO programme, a joint venture formed in 1988 by then GIAT Industries, Royal Ordnance Factories and Rheinmetall.
The outcome of this collaboration was the creation of the NATO-standard 140 mm two-piece ammunition designed to succeed the 120×570mm NATO.
[1] The French, for their part, funded the construction of a lengthened Leclerc turret armed with a 140 mm smoothbore gun.
In April 2021, Nexter unveiled a modified version of its 140 mm weapon system under the acronym ASCALON and the gun was later displayed at the 2022 edition of Eurosatory.
The barrel is covered by a faceted thermal sleeve and to reduce the recoil effort, the gun is fitted with a pepperpot muzzle brake.