The key feature that defines the “Telescoped” technology and differentiates it from conventional medium caliber weapons is that the projectile is located inside the cartridge case and is surrounded by propellant powder. Compared to a conventional cartridge, the ammunition is more compact and its length is reduced, optimising the kinematics of the weapon, the storage volume in the vehicle and logistics.

The cylindrical profile of the ammunition removes the needs for extraction of empty cartridge cases, which are instead ”pushed-through” and ejected perpendicular to the axis of fire. New ammunition loaded into the chamber pushes out the previous empty cartridge case.

With the 40CTAS, the axis of ammunition introduction is the same as the axis of elevation. This enables ammunition to be introduced into the chamber along the feeding axis regardless of the elevation angle of the barrel. This removes the need for flexible ammunition chutes found in conventional weapons, which are not an efficient use of space and are prone to jamming. As a result, the feeding mechanism is completely static compared to the turret structure and allows easier firing on-the-move operations and a significant improvement in weapon reliability.

The Ammunition Handling System (AHS) makes it possible to accommodate all types of ammunition in the same load and to quickly switch from one nature to the other depending on the threat. The ratio of the different types is also adjustable according to each mission.