The Bundeswehr has once again awarded Rheinmetall a major contract for the supply of 30mm ammunition for its Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). The German Armed Forces placed the order for additional cartridges under an extended framework agreement signed in December 2022, with the latest order valued at several hundred million euros.
The original framework contract, which runs until 2029, covers the supply of 30mm x 173 ammunition for the Puma IFV. It has now been significantly expanded in both delivery quantities and order volume, providing for the delivery of several hundred thousand cartridges with a total value of around €1 billion. As part of the extension, a medium six-figure quantity of ammunition has already been retrieved, with current order intake amounting to several hundred million euros.
To further strengthen its Puma fleet, the Bundeswehr recently commissioned joint venture partners Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland to supply an additional 200 Puma IFVs. The vehicle is armed with Rheinmetall’s MK30-2/ABM (Airburst Munition) machine gun, which combines a high rate of fire with programmable, state-of-the-art ammunition technology. With an effective range exceeding 2,000 metres, the weapon system is highly effective against land, air and sea targets.
Rheinmetall is a key supplier of combat ammunition to the Bundeswehr and produces two types of 30mm x 173 calibre ammunition for the Puma IFV: KE-TF DM21 and KE DM33. Both have been developed and certified in accordance with the latest standards, offering high levels of reliability, effectiveness, penetration and precision. The programmable KE-TF (Kinetic Energy Time Fuse) ammunition enables the Puma to engage larger soft and semi-hard targets, as well as drones.
The latest order underlines Rheinmetall’s position as a leading supplier of medium-calibre ammunition to the Bundeswehr. It also reflects the German Armed Forces’ ongoing efforts to replenish stocks and expand ammunition reserves in response to the current security environment. Rheinmetall remains one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of medium-calibre ammunition.
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