40mm halo for everyone

All good things come from above. This wisdom is true. But it always depends a bit on which end of the barrel you stand. From the perspective of the shooter of a 40mm grenade machine gun, the Bundeswehr can rejoice: Rheinmetall has been tasked with supplying thousands of rounds of a new 40mm x 53 Airburst munition. For the first time, the German armed forces are now acquiring this advanced ammunition technology, which Rheinmetall is further advancing. The 40mm x 53 Airburst munition (ABM) has now been fully qualified by the Bundeswehr and the Dutch armed forces. The pilotless new ammunition, cataloged as DM131, is currently being delivered.

And this is how the blessing from above works: In programmable "Airburst" ammunition, the detonation point of the projectiles can be set. In the Rheinmetall technology approach, this is done after the projectile leaves the barrel of the weapon through an infrared signal transmitted by the fire control sight. The effect of the projectiles is then delivered at a precisely determined distance above their target - even if it is behind cover. Therefore, the innovative ammunition significantly enhances the combat effectiveness of the Bundeswehr's proven 40mm grenade machine guns. With appropriate fire control technology, the DM131 has an effective range of 2200 meters.

Rheinmetall is pleased to be the leading system house for 40mm technology. The company offers a variety of ammunition palettes in the calibers of 40mm Low Velocity (LV), 40 mm Medium Velocity (MV) and 40mm High Velocity (HV). In addition, weapon systems such as the Cerberus underslung grenade launcher and the Hydra automatic grenade rifle are offered. Both are suitable for MV and LV ammunition thanks to integrated hydraulic buffer systems. Fire control sights from the Vingmate family complete the excellent Rheinmetall portfolio.