Rheinmetall has just won two new contracts in the indirect fire ammunition domain. An international customer has ordered propellant charges worth around €40 million from Rheinmetall Denel Munition, the Group’s South African subsidiary. Another customer, a NATO state, has placed an order with Rheinmetall Denel Munition for its tried-and-tested Assegai 155mm ammunition. This order is worth around €17 million. The Assegai family of artillery ammunition can be fired from any NATO STANAG-compatible artillery system, including the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer.

“We’re very pleased that two customers – including a NATO member state and a non-NATO country – have again placed their trust in our globally proven Assegai indirect fire technology”, says Jan-Patrick Helmsen, managing director of Rheinmetall Denel Munition. “As a systems maker, we work constantly to improve our cutting-edge technologies so that we can provide our customers’ soldiers with the very best, most reliable solutions possible.”

Back in 2019, Rheinmetall succeeded in setting a new maximum range record in South Africa with the Assegai family and other Group products like the new Extended Range Charge from Rheinmetall’s subsidiary Nitrochemie AG. Thanks to the Assegai system approach – from fuse to projectile to propelling charges – long ranges were attained with various artillery systems. A non-NATO 155mm artillery gun with 52 calibre lengths and a 25-litre propelling charge chamber achieved a record range of 76 kilometres.

Rheinmetall Denel Munition is already working on other future artillery technologies. For example, the rocket motor in conventional 155mm Assegai projectiles is being improved. In addition to this, a new development is on the way that will boost the maximum range to over 155 kilometres.

The Finnish armed forces have contracted with EuroSpike GmbH, a joint venture of Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH, Diehl Defence, and Rafael, to supply Spike antitank guided missiles. For Rheinmetall, the order is worth a figure in the mid-double-digit million-euro range.

Of great importance for Rheinmetall, this order also underscores the tremendous trust placed in EuroSpike GmbH: the German-Israeli joint venture is now an industrial mainstay of the antitank capability of many EU and NATO member nations.

The German armed forces were among the first Spike users. A version of the system known as the Mehrrollenfähiges Leichtes Lenkflugkörpersystem (MELLS; multi-role light guided missile system) is in service with the Bundeswehr. Made by EuroSpike – a joint venture in which Rheinmetall holds a 40% stake – the MELLS is a latest-generation effector designed for engaging armoured targets at ranges of up to 4,000 metres or, depending on the model, up to 5,500 metres.

Rheinmetall possesses extensive experience with the MELLS. The company has already integrated this advanced guided missile into various combat vehicles.

Saab received an order in mid-December 2022 for the anti-armour weapon AT4 from the French Armament General Directorate (DGA). The order value is approximately EUR 24 million and deliveries will take place in 2023. The order was booked in Q4 2022.

The AT4 family is a range of lightweight, man-portable, disposable weapons characterised by ease of use. AT4 can be used against tanks and heavy combat vehicles as well as threats in buildings and fortifications and to protect fixed installations, supply points and other vital assets.

“We are proud to yet again be chosen to deliver our world class single-shot AT4 system to France. Our future ready AT4 will ensure the French armed forces have the necessary firepower to give them the advantage on the battlefield,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab´s business area Dynamics.

France has previously ordered Saab’s AT4CS ER (Extended Range), the AT4CS HE (High Explosive) and the AT4CS AST (Anti-Structure). The AT4 family is known as the Roquette NG (Nouvelle Génération) in France.

Saab has received an order from Finland regarding missiles for the RBS 70 ground-based air defence system. The order value is approximately SEK 800 million and deliveries will take place 2023-2026.

The order includes Saab’s latest version of the RBS 70 missile, Bolide, which enables engagement with airborne armored targets and drones. The missile will be used with Finland’s current RBS 70 systems, which have been in use in the country for more than 15 years. In Finland the system is referred to as ITO05 and ITO05M (Ilmatorjuntaohjus 05).

“We are proud to continue contributing to Finland’s air defence capability with our future-proof Bolide missile, which can be used against a wide range of threats,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.   

Saab’s portfolio of short-range, ground-based air defence missile systems includes the RBS 70 and the latest version, RBS 70 NG. The RBS 70 has an impressive track-record on the market with more than 1,600 launchers and over 18,000 missiles delivered to 19 nations. 

Saab has received orders from the Latvian Ministry of Defence for ammunition for the Carl-Gustaf® recoilless rifle. The order value is approximately SEK 185 million.

The order is placed within a framework agreement between Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) which enables Latvia to place orders for Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons and ammunition over a ten-year period.

“We are pleased to continue delivering our world-class ground combat capabilities to Latvia. This order will support the Latvian National Armed Forces’ ability to meet a wide range of challenges on the modern battlefield,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.

Proven to deliver results on the battlefield, the Carl-Gustaf provides the effectiveness soldiers need. The wide range of ammunition types available for Carl-Gustaf makes it flexible and able to handle any situation on the battlefield, whether it is to destroy an armoured vehicle or structure, or illuminating the battlefield during night-time operations.

Saab has received orders for the RBS 70 NG ground-based air defence system and the Giraffe 1X radar from the Latvian Ministry of Defence. Deliveries will begin in 2022.

The Giraffe 1X radar, combined with the RBS 70 NG, will further strengthen Latvia’s air defence capabilities by enabling improved performance.

“Our wide knowledge within ground-based air defence enables us to offer a complete solution within the area. With this order, the Latvian National Armed Forces will receive the Giraffe 1X radar with its best-in-class capabilities, as well as the world’s most capable short-range air defence system RBS 70 NG,” says Mats-Olof Rydberg, head of Marketing and Sales, Saab’s business unit Missile Systems.

RBS 70 NG is used by a number of nations across the world, including Sweden, the Czech Republic and Brazil. The latest version offers an automatic target tracker and a built-in night sight. Giraffe 1X is on contract for a range of customers and is a truly compact, lightweight high-performing 3D radar. Giraffe 1X can be used for tasks including ground based air defence, Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) and site protection as well as naval applications for all types of vessels.