European armed forces stock up on 40mm rounds and artillery rockets
One European NATO customer has contracted for up to 345,000 40mm cartridges of different types, while another is taking 10,000. (Photo: Rheinmetall)
Rheinmetall will supply two European nations with 40mm ammunition, while Elbit has landed a contract to deliver 122mm rockets to another country.
Two European NATO customers have signed contracts with Rheinmetall to supply their armed forces with 40mm ammunition, with total value exceeding €30 million, according to a company news release last week.
In December the first customer contracted for supply of up to 300,000 rounds, including LV (low velocity) and HV (high velocity) variants. The NATO nation has already confirmed an initial tranche of around 75,000 cartridges.
A separate arrangement will see the same country taking delivery of 45,000 programmable 40mm x53 HV HE-T ABM (High Velocity High Explosive-Tracer Airburst Munition) cartridges in the first half of 2024.
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The second European NATO customer will be supplied with around 10,000 rounds of the same type of ammunition, mainly used for combating drones. Delivery here will take place from mid-2023.
Meanwhile on 11 January Elbit Systems said it had been an approximately $70 million to supply rockets to the armed forces of a European country, with deliveries over a three-year period.
The 122mm extended-range rockets allow ground forces to concentrate fire at up to 40km awayand support autonomous operation in various weather conditions.
Many European nations are looking to restock ammunition reserves depleted by donations to Ukraine, as Shephard recently reported.
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