Germany expands Rheinmetall tank munitions agreement

The order includes ammunition for both German and Ukrainian armed forces.

Under an agreement just announced, the German Army has expanded a deal with Rheinmetall to provide tank munition to a value of €4 billion ($4.4 billion) and a first call-off of ammunition worth €309 million ($345 million) came immediately after the contract was signed.

The agreement could see Germany buy several hundred thousand rounds of 120mm x 570 calibre service and practice ammunition, the type fired, for example, by the Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT).

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The scope of the deal includes multipurpose tank ammunition with a non-programmable fuse and another variant that can be programmed for three different ignition modes: detonation on impact with and without time delay, and a timed airburst function.

The order also encompasses various types of practice ammunition featuring reduced range and lower cost, but which otherwise display comparable ballistic characteristics.

The framework agreement and contract are designed to secure a steady long-term supply of ammunition, which in turn enables better planning of the production process and optimum utilisation of existing capacity.

The company said: ‘[The contract] reflects the German military’s commitment to rebuilding its capabilities and increasing its ammunition stocks due to the new security situation. The framework agreement also encompasses a significant amount of tank ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces’.

Leopard MBTs have been donated to Ukraine by European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Canada in an effort to repel Russian forces which invaded Ukraine in 2022.

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