Spain awards Rheinmetall $226 million contract for more than 90,000 155mm artillery rounds

Europe, News March 16, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Spain has awarded German defense firm Rheinmetall a $226 million (€208 million) contract for 94,200 155mm artillery ammunition. The new order emphasizes Rheinmetall’s importance as a reliable partner to the Spanish army for the supply of key defense equipment.

The 155m artillery ammunition would be delivered to the Spanish army between the end of 2024 and the end of 2025, with a two-year extension option, the Rheinmetall statement highlighted.

Rheinmetall is the world’s largest manufacturer of artillery ammunition and provides several fellow NATO members with 155mm artillery ammunition. The Spanish army is already using the 155mm artillery rounds and the new order is the second framework agreement.

According to Rheinmetall, “The ER02A1 high-explosive (HE) projectiles have a maximum range of 30 kilometers in the boat-tail (BT) variant and almost 40 kilometers in the base-bleed (BB) variant. The latter has a pyrotechnic device at the base of the projectile, which is activated when fired. The release of combustion gases reduces the negative pressure behind the projectile. This reduces the effective air drag and increases the range.”

In February 2024 Rheinmetall held a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony for opening a new plant was held in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, in the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. According to the Rheinmetall statement, the new factory will produce explosives and components for rocket artillery as well as artillery ammunition in particular.

*^{German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall’s 155mm artillery ammunition. (Image Credit: Rheinmetall)}*

NATO Allies are pacing efforts to increase ammunition stocks and seek to acquire a wide variety of critical munitions, including 155mm artillery shells, anti-tank guided missiles, and main battle tank ammunition.

Last month Rheinmetall signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Ukrainian partner company to open a new artillery ammunition plant in Ukraine that would enable the production of artillery rounds in Ukraine in the future.

Chairman of the executive board of Rheinmetall AG, Armin Papperger highlighted, “Demand for ammunition in many countries is enormous – first and foremost in Ukraine, of course. Our intention of establishing another joint venture underscores our support for Ukraine. This joint venture will make a vital contribution to the country’s ability to defend itself – and thus to the security of all Europe.”

NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan aims to aggregate demand, address defense industrial capacity, and enhance interoperability and material standardization. In January 2024, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) concluded $1.2 billion worth of contracts for buying 220,000 155mm artillery ammunition.