German defense firm Rheinmetall to supply 100,000 mortar rounds to Ukraine

Europe, News November 9, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order from the German government to produce around 100,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition and supply to Ukraine to support its efforts against Russia.

The order is worth “a figure in the lower-three-digit million-euro range,” Rheinmetall said in a statement adding that the delivery is expected to begin shortly and extend over the next two years.

Rheinmetall statement highlighted that “The Group’s product range encompasses a complete array of 120mm, 81mm and 60mm mortar ammunition. Augmenting these are fire control systems and mortar weapon systems like the 120mm Ragnarök and the innovative RSG60, a 60mm mortar system.”

The order is part of a recent €400 million military aid package for the Ukrainian armed forces. Germany has recently paced efforts to supply military equipment to Ukraine. The latest order from the German government underscores Rheinmetall’s role as a leading supplier of indirect fire technology.

German defense firm Rheinmetall also recently took Spanish ammunition maker Expal and has further reinforced its already extensive expertise in the field of infantry fire support.

*^{Ukrainian service members fire a Caesar self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops near Avdiivka. (Image Credit: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters)}*

Last month Germany delivered the third unit of the ground-based IRIS-T SLM air defense system to Ukraine, including missiles and TRML-4D air surveillance radar. Germany is also planning to provide another unit of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system to Ukraine in the near future.

Ukraine is using German weapon systems to counter Russian missile and drone attacks. According to German sources, Ukraine had shot down more than 110 Russian targets, most of these being cruise missiles such as the Kalibr, using the IRIS-T air defense system.

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is also working with U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin to develop a European variant of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), known as GMARS, that is expected to be delivered by 2025.

The GMARS is being modeled on Rheinmetall’s HX 8×8 configuration wheeled artillery system. It aims to replace the MARS 2 multiple-launch rocket system, which is currently being used by German armed forces as well as several other European militaries.