Rheinmetall Awarded Framework Contract to Supply 30 mm Ammunition for the Puma IFV

On 8 December 2022, Rheinmetall announced that the German Bundeswehr signed a framework agreement with Rheinmetall to supply over 600,000 rounds of 30 mm ammunition for the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. The contract is valued at approximately EUR 576 M. A first batch of around 25,000 rounds of DM21 Kinetic Energy Time Fuse (KE-TF) programmable 30 mm × 173 ammunition is expected to be delivered before the end of 2022.

The budget committee of the German Parliament approved the bill for this comprehensive procurement on 30 November 2022. This automatic cannon ammunition order for the Puma is intended to ensure an adequate operational supply for the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), as well as for German Army mechanised infantry training and exercises.

The Puma infantry fighting vehicle is equipped with a Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM (Air Burst Munition) automatic cannon. This has an effective range of over 2,000 m, and is suited to engaging a wide variety of target types.

Rheinmetall produces two main natures of 30mm × 173 ammunition for the Puma, the DM21 KE-TF and DM33 Kinetic Energy (KE) rounds. The former is a programmable air burst munition which is intended for engaging infantry, light vehicles, and area targets, while the latter is a kinetic energy penetrator intended for engaging armoured vehicles.

MC