The German Bundeswehr has awarded Rheinmetall an extensive framework contract up to €556 million for the supply of tank ammunition.
Under this agreement, 203,000 rounds of 120mm x 570 cal. service and practice ammunition – the kind fired from the main armament of Leopard tanks, for example – can be procured through to the end of 2028.
A first call-off of 15,000 rounds of DM88 ammunition came at the beginning of December, with delivery to be complete by the end of 2020. This order is worth €26.5 million, including VAT.
The framework contract encompasses delivery of a total of 19,000 rounds of DM11 ammunition, 95,000 DM88 cartridges and 89,000 rounds of DM98 ammunition.
Developed by Rheinmetall, the DM11 is a multipurpose tank ammunition which can be programmed to detonate on impact (with or without a time delay) or in mid-air. The DM98 is the accompanying full-caliber practice round, which features reduced range and lower cost but otherwise displays comparable ballistic characteristics. The subcaliber DM88 is the practice version of the Bundeswehr’s armor-piercing DM63-KE ammunition.
