Fresh ammunition for grenade machine guns

The German Bundeswehr has awarded Rheinmetall the contract for the production and delivery of 40mm ammunition for use in the grenade machine gun. This includes several tens of thousands of programmable 40mm x 53 Airburst Munition (ABM) DM131 cartridges. The contract value is 22.9 million EUR gross. In addition, the Bundeswehr has placed an order for approximately 200,000 training cartridges of the 40mm x 53 Üb DM158 type, with a contract value of around 7.2 million EUR gross. Delivery of the ammunition is expected to be completed by 2024.

Rheinmetall is one of the world's leading suppliers of ammunition, weapon systems, and fire control sights, and acts as a "one-stop-shop" for 40mm systems. Rheinmetall's 40mm x 53 high-velocity ammunition can be used with all common grenade machine guns in this caliber. It reaches a speed of over 240 m/s and has a maximum effective range of 2200 meters.

Among the wide range of cartridges in this segment is the programmable 40mm x 53 ABM that has been contracted. With its airburst capability, it allows troops to engage targets behind cover. It is also suitable for drone defense. The 40mm x 53 ABM is qualified for use by the Bundeswehr and is designated as DM131. Several other NATO countries also use this modern ammunition.

All types of ammunition that have now been contracted are developed to the latest standards, qualified, and are unrivaled worldwide in terms of effectiveness and precision. The design of both cartridges fully complies with the requirements of the European Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

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