EUROSATORY 22: 40 Mike Mike with Rheinmetall

Is the German weapons manufacturer entering the global Nerf business? It almost looks like it, but the company remains serious: Squad Support Weapon 40 (SSW40) is a grenade launcher for the practical 40 Mike Mike caliber. Rheinmetall presented at Eurosatory 2022 the world's first automatic, magazine-fed grenade launcher with shoulder firing, which has been in development since before 2011. The weight, dimensions, and handling of the SSW40 resemble those of an assault rifle. Thanks to a self-regulating recoil system, the SSW40 can use all available 40mm Low Velocity (LV) ammunition types as well as the new Rheinmetall 40mm Medium Velocity (MV) ammunition.

The new MV ammunition has a significantly increased velocity and a flat trajectory, allowing for faster engagement of targets at effective ranges of up to 900 meters, promises Rheinmetall. Combined with the wide range of 40mm LV/MV ammunition from Rheinmetall, infantry soldiers achieve unprecedented flexibility and effectiveness on the battlefield of the future.

Due to the 40mm MV ammunition, the development of the SSW40 is closely linked to the turret-independent Secondary Weapon System (TSWA, Turret-Independent Secondary Weapon System) for the Puma infantry fighting vehicle – depicted above. The TSWA enables engagement of targets in close proximity to the vehicle with both non-lethal effectors and the lethal warheads of the new 40mm MV ammunition family. The introduction of this 40mm MV ammunition family was crucial for the SSW40, whose development will be completed in 2023.

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