The order is valued at over €350M
The German Bundeswehr has awarded Rheinmetall a contract worth over €350 million to produce and supply medium-calibre ammunition for the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. The order is a call-off from an existing framework agreement and encompasses several hundred thousand rounds of 30mm x 173 DM21 service ammunition.
Delivery will begin this year and continue through 2024 to 2027 once functionality has been successfully demonstrated.
On 30 November 2022, the budget committee of the German Parliament approved a bill for the large-scale procurement of 30mm medium-calibre ammunition. Awarded back in December 2022, the framework contract for the supply of medium-calibre ammunition for the Puma infantry fighting vehicle worth up to €576 million.
Follow-up call-offs are expected. The first DM21 automatic cannon ammunition call-off under the existing framework contract was already issued in late 2022. Furthermore, another one for 2023 followed in mid-2023.
The Puma infantry fighting vehicle is armed with a Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM designed to fire airburst ammunition. Combining a high rate of fire with cutting-edge ammunition technology, the MK30-2/ABM is an uncompromisingly excellent, extremely reliable weapon system, perfect for engaging ground, air and maritime targets.
Rheinmetall is a crucial ammunition supplier for the Bundeswehr’s Puma infantry fighting vehicles. The Group produces and supplies two main types of 30mm x 173 service ammunition: the KETF DM21 (airburst) and the KE DM33 (armour-piercing), as well as the DM58 practice round. Developed and qualified in line with the latest standards, they are unrivalled worldwide regarding reliability, lethality, penetrating power and precision.
KETF DM21 – the Kinetic Energy Time Fuse abbreviation – has extremely reliable programming, enabling the Puma to engage larger soft and semi-hard area targets. The KE DM33 belongs to the new subcalibre Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot – Tracer (APFSDS-T) ammunition generation.
Its penetrator punches through modern armour even at minimal impact angles and long engagement ranges. Thanks to these two types of service ammunition, the Puma can successfully take on a broad spectrum of armoured, semi-hard, soft point and area targets.
