Italy selects Rheinmetall 40mm infantry ammunition
Rheinmetall will supply the Italian armed forces with more than 50,000 rounds of enhanced-performance 40mm x 53 war shot ammunition under a new €8.7 million contract announced on 8 March. Italy joins Canada and Denmark as the third NATO nation to equip its armed forces with the ammunition.
The 40mm x 53 High Velocity High Explosive Dual Purpose Insensitive Munition with Electronic Self Destruct (HV HEDP IM ESD) is designed for use against semi-hard targets and lightly armoured vehicles at ranges of up to 2,200m. The highly accurate enhanced performance ammunition has been developed for use in automatic grenade launchers such as MK19, MK47 and Heckler & Koch GMG.
According to Rheinmetall, the ammunition features a newly developed shaped charge warhead, and is the only 40mm cartridge on the market today that can penetrate 80 mm of RHA steel. The round also has an insensitive propulsion system; and together with its explosive, the round conforms to the insensitive ammunition criteria contained in STANAG 4439 Level/Reaction Type V. An electronic self-destruct mechanism is another important safety feature, designed to minimise the risk of unexploded duds.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Bittium deploys AI to turn combat radios into EW sensors]()
Bittium deploys AI to turn combat radios into EW sensors
Bittium's Integrated Spectrum Situational Awareness concept, developed in partnership with MarshallAI, allows tactical radios to act as EW sensors via a software upgrade, integrating equipment already in use with new electromagnetic capabilities, and leveraging existing networks as multi-sensor electronic warfare (EW) assets.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Savox launches MissionCore battlefield integration platform]()
Eurosatory 2026: Savox launches MissionCore battlefield integration platform
Savox Communications has unveiled MissionCore, a modular C4ISR platform designed to integrate voice, video and sensor data across existing military networks.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Allison aims to future-proof Europe’s AFVs with transmission tech]()
Eurosatory 2026: Allison aims to future-proof Europe’s AFVs with transmission tech
Allison has brought two of its latest automatic transmissions for military vehicles to Eurosatory 2026, the 4040MX for tracked armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) and the 4000 series for wheeled AFVs.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: RWS launches urban counter-drone ammunition range]()
Eurosatory 2026: RWS launches urban counter-drone ammunition range
RWS has introduced its Urban Drone Defence ammunition family at Eurosatory 2026, offering a kinetic counter-UAS solution designed for use in urban environments.
-
![SYSNAV unveils GPS-independent soldier tracking system]()
SYSNAV unveils GPS-independent soldier tracking system
SYSNAV has launched its LocIndoor Blue Force Tracking solution at Eurosatory 2026, providing dismounted troops with positioning capabilities in GPS-denied environments.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights]()
Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights
Maintaining connectivity in contested environments, where essential networks can easily be disrupted by enemy forces, has emerged as a key challenge in modern warfare. Estonian company Vegvisir aims to tackle that problem with a new Communications Module unveiled at Eurosatory.
