EDEX 2025: Chinese Bolas GAM 102LR Unveiled in New Twin Tube Launcher for Long Range Strikes
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The Bolas GAM 102LR missile appeared at EDEX 2025 in Cairo with a new twin-tube pedestal launcher, highlighting a shift toward vehicle-ready precision strike roles. The upgraded design signals a push by Chinese and Turkish partners to challenge Western long-range anti-armor systems.
A newly configured version of the Bolas GAM 102LR surfaced at the Egypt Defence Expo in Cairo. The twin tube launcher, photographed by Army Recognition at the Poly Defence stand, reflects how the fifth-generation missile line is moving from a shoulder-fired weapon to a network-connected platform that can support long-range anti-armor and multi-mission engagements.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Twin tube Bolas GAM 102LR launcher shown at EDEX 2025, featuring a fifth-generation long-range ATGM with fire and forget and man in the loop guidance, dual band IR and TV seeker, top attack capability, and a range advertised between 6 and 10 km, designed for both dismounted teams and vehicle integration (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).
The GAM 102LR sits at the heavy end of the GAM 10X missile family that Poly Defence first unveiled in 2016 and has steadily expanded with lighter GAM 100 variants. In its current export form, marketed in partnership with Mediterranean Defence Technology, the missile is described as a multi-purpose, ultra-long range, fifth-generation weapon for both dismounted infantry and combat vehicles. It combines fire and forget and man-in-the-loop modes, uses a dual-band uncooled infrared and TV seeker, and is supported by a wireless data link that allows guidance updates and retargeting in flight.
Technical data released by Med Defence Tech indicate an engagement envelope extending beyond 10 km, while earlier Chinese reporting spoke of a 6 km reach, suggesting incremental growth or range bands depending on platform and profile. Open sources also credit the missile with a tandem HEAT warhead able to defeat more than 1,000 mm of rolled homogeneous armor after explosive reactive armor, putting it squarely in the class of modern heavy anti-tank weapons. The soft launch two-stage propulsion permits firing from confined urban positions and enables a steep top attack trajectory against main battle tank roofs.
The EDEX system, photographed by Army Recognition, uses a robust tripod on a three-legged base with a powered cradle carrying two missile canisters and an electro-optic head above the tubes. This configuration allows rapid salvo firing against two separate targets, or a quick follow-up shot if the first missile fails, while remaining light enough for crew deployment around static firing points, forward operating bases, or defensive strongpoints. A separate command and launch unit with integrated day TV, thermal imager, and laser rangefinder provides target acquisition out to the missile’s maximum range and acts as the interface for man-in-the-loop control.
The system is designed to support both classic line-of-sight engagements and beyond-line-of-sight shots cued by third-party sensors. In a desert or steppe environment, a platoon of GAM 102LR launchers on light armored 4×4 vehicles could build an extended anti-armor screen in depth, engaging columns well before they reach friendly positions. In urban or mountain terrain, dismounted teams could exploit the confined space firing capability to ambush armor from upper stories or reverse slopes, using top attack mode to bypass frontal protection. Network connectivity allows several launchers to cooperate, sharing targets and running coordinated strikes against key vehicles or hardened firing points.
From an industrial perspective, the system is attractive for countries seeking a modern anti-tank capability without dependence on Western suppliers. Both the Chinese origin of the missile and the Turkish-based marketing of the GAM 102LR open doors for co-production, local assembly of launchers and vehicle integration packages, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, where EDEX visitors are looking for cost-competitive alternatives.
In capability terms, the Bolas GAM 102LR competes with systems such as the US Javelin, the Israeli Spike LR2, and the Turkish OMTAS. Javelin and HJ 12 type missiles offer man-portable fire and forget top attack profiles, but are generally limited to around 4 km. Spike LR2 extends reach to about 5.5 km, while OMTAS again tops out near 4 km. By contrast, the GAM 102LR’s advertised 6 to 10 km envelope and networked man-in-the-loop guidance give it a genuine standoff advantage, at the cost of a heavier launcher and greater dependence on external sensors. For armies prepared to invest in reconnaissance and command networks, the twin-tube Bolas launcher seen at EDEX 2025 offers a path toward long-range, high-precision anti-armor fires that can be tailored to local industrial and political constraints.
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The Bolas GAM 102LR missile appeared at EDEX 2025 in Cairo with a new twin-tube pedestal launcher, highlighting a shift toward vehicle-ready precision strike roles. The upgraded design signals a push by Chinese and Turkish partners to challenge Western long-range anti-armor systems.
A newly configured version of the Bolas GAM 102LR surfaced at the Egypt Defence Expo in Cairo. The twin tube launcher, photographed by Army Recognition at the Poly Defence stand, reflects how the fifth-generation missile line is moving from a shoulder-fired weapon to a network-connected platform that can support long-range anti-armor and multi-mission engagements.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Twin tube Bolas GAM 102LR launcher shown at EDEX 2025, featuring a fifth-generation long-range ATGM with fire and forget and man in the loop guidance, dual band IR and TV seeker, top attack capability, and a range advertised between 6 and 10 km, designed for both dismounted teams and vehicle integration (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).
The GAM 102LR sits at the heavy end of the GAM 10X missile family that Poly Defence first unveiled in 2016 and has steadily expanded with lighter GAM 100 variants. In its current export form, marketed in partnership with Mediterranean Defence Technology, the missile is described as a multi-purpose, ultra-long range, fifth-generation weapon for both dismounted infantry and combat vehicles. It combines fire and forget and man-in-the-loop modes, uses a dual-band uncooled infrared and TV seeker, and is supported by a wireless data link that allows guidance updates and retargeting in flight.
Technical data released by Med Defence Tech indicate an engagement envelope extending beyond 10 km, while earlier Chinese reporting spoke of a 6 km reach, suggesting incremental growth or range bands depending on platform and profile. Open sources also credit the missile with a tandem HEAT warhead able to defeat more than 1,000 mm of rolled homogeneous armor after explosive reactive armor, putting it squarely in the class of modern heavy anti-tank weapons. The soft launch two-stage propulsion permits firing from confined urban positions and enables a steep top attack trajectory against main battle tank roofs.
The EDEX system, photographed by Army Recognition, uses a robust tripod on a three-legged base with a powered cradle carrying two missile canisters and an electro-optic head above the tubes. This configuration allows rapid salvo firing against two separate targets, or a quick follow-up shot if the first missile fails, while remaining light enough for crew deployment around static firing points, forward operating bases, or defensive strongpoints. A separate command and launch unit with integrated day TV, thermal imager, and laser rangefinder provides target acquisition out to the missile’s maximum range and acts as the interface for man-in-the-loop control.
The system is designed to support both classic line-of-sight engagements and beyond-line-of-sight shots cued by third-party sensors. In a desert or steppe environment, a platoon of GAM 102LR launchers on light armored 4×4 vehicles could build an extended anti-armor screen in depth, engaging columns well before they reach friendly positions. In urban or mountain terrain, dismounted teams could exploit the confined space firing capability to ambush armor from upper stories or reverse slopes, using top attack mode to bypass frontal protection. Network connectivity allows several launchers to cooperate, sharing targets and running coordinated strikes against key vehicles or hardened firing points.
From an industrial perspective, the system is attractive for countries seeking a modern anti-tank capability without dependence on Western suppliers. Both the Chinese origin of the missile and the Turkish-based marketing of the GAM 102LR open doors for co-production, local assembly of launchers and vehicle integration packages, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, where EDEX visitors are looking for cost-competitive alternatives.
In capability terms, the Bolas GAM 102LR competes with systems such as the US Javelin, the Israeli Spike LR2, and the Turkish OMTAS. Javelin and HJ 12 type missiles offer man-portable fire and forget top attack profiles, but are generally limited to around 4 km. Spike LR2 extends reach to about 5.5 km, while OMTAS again tops out near 4 km. By contrast, the GAM 102LR’s advertised 6 to 10 km envelope and networked man-in-the-loop guidance give it a genuine standoff advantage, at the cost of a heavier launcher and greater dependence on external sensors. For armies prepared to invest in reconnaissance and command networks, the twin-tube Bolas launcher seen at EDEX 2025 offers a path toward long-range, high-precision anti-armor fires that can be tailored to local industrial and political constraints.
