An unnamed NATO country orders artillery ammunition from Rheinmetall worth €300 million

24 May, 2024 Production of DM121 155mm artillery shells. Photo credits: Rheinmetall The German company Rheinmetall has received an order for the production of artillery ammunition from an unnamed NATO country.

Rheinmetall reported on this. The order comprises several tens of thousands of artillery shells and several hundred thousand propellant charge modules. The total gross value of the orders booked in the second quarter of 2024 amounts to almost EUR300 million.

The deliveries will take place between 2024 and 2028.

155-mm artillery shells by Rheinmetall. Photo credits: Rheinmetall

According to the company, the order was placed as a result of the war in Ukraine launched by Russia, and now most European countries are seeking to arm their own armed forces. At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most of the European and American stockpile of 155-mm artillery shells quickly ran out.

In order to quickly replenish them, as well as to transfer a large number of artillery shells to Ukraine, Rheinmetall has launched a large-scale expansion of its production facilities. The company has acquired some European manufacturers to invest in accelerating the production of artillery shells.

DM121 shells manufactured by the Spanish company Expal. Photo from the network

In addition to Germany, France has also begun a large-scale expansion of its capacities, building new facilities for the production of artillery shells.

Militarnyi previously reported that France planned to open a new plant for the production of 155-mm artillery shells in Belgium. The plant will be opened next week by KNDS Mecar in Belgium, a subsidiary of the French company Ouest-France. In addition to expanding the production of 155-mm shell casings, France is also expanding the production of special modular artillery charges used to fire artillery shells.

The modular propellant charge manufacturer Eurenco plans to increase production of propellant charges for artillery to 500,000 units per year.

According to the order, the French company will launch production and produce up to 1,200 tons of artillery powder per year at its facilities in Bergerac, for which over EUR500 million have been invested.