Rheinmetall Develops Qualification Samples of New-Generation Armour Piercing 120mm Ammunition

Rheinmetall has developed qualification samples of it armour-piercing 120mm KE 2020 Neo ammunition to counter modern protection technologies.

The qualification readiness of this ammunition has been confirmed, according to a Rheinmetall press release.

Rheinmetall had been commissioned by the Bundeswehr and the British Army to produce qualification samples, following a contract signed in September 2020 with the Bundeswehr’s Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).

The new 120 mm x 570 KE2020Neo ammunition advances Rheinmetall's successful KE rounds, utilizing new technologies to enhance the high-strength tungsten penetrator's ability to breach modern protection systems.

Rheinmetall's current KE projectiles feature a high-strength tungsten penetrator, providing superior performance against modern armour. The series began with the DM13, followed by the more powerful DM23 in the mid-1980s and the DM33.

During the upgrade of the Leopard 2 to the A6 version, Rheinmetall developed two types of performance-enhanced KE ammunition, leading to the DM53 and DM63 models used by the Bundeswehr. The DM63 is now available in the REACh-compliant A1 version. The latest iteration, the enhanced DM73, has been introduced for use with the L55A1 high-pressure weapon in the Bundeswehr.