Rheinmetall To Supply Bundeswehr With Artillery Shells For €109M

Rheinmetall has won a €109 million ($123 million) contract to supply German military Bundeswehr for artillery shells.

The framework contract encompasses the supply of over 32,000 rounds, with an option for a further 11,000 worth around €37 million, the company said in a statement.

The ammunition ordered by the Bundeswehr is the 155mm DM121, which can attain ranges of up to 30 kilometres when fired from the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer. Featuring insensitive characteristics, it can also be used in training operations and field exercises. Just awarded, the order follows a first batch of 30,000 procured by the Bundeswehr in 2009.

The shell can reach targets up to 30km away.

The DM121 is capable of penetrating a several-centimetre-thick wall of reinforced concrete before detonating in controlled fashion on the opposite side. It is designed to operate at temperatures ranging from -46°C to +63°C.

Delivery is slated to begin in 2019.