The Dutch procurement organization DMO (Defence Material Organization) has ordered the delivery of flare and smoke projectiles from the framework contract with Rheinmetall. The ammunition, with an order value in the double-digit million euro range, is scheduled to be delivered in mid-2023, as Rheinmetall writes in a statement. The contract includes the delivery of 155mm luminous bullets of the two types M1808 Base Bleed and M1809 Boat Tail as well as RH1901 Base Bleed and RH1902 Boat Tail. The luminous bullets belong to the Assegai ammunition family and are said to complement the high-explosive bullets already in use.
According to Rheinmetall, the company's entire family of ammunition has been tested and qualified under extreme conditions to provide high levels of safety, reliability, consistency and range enhancement. In addition, the qualification of the IR luminous and smoke ammunition was recently successfully completed in the third quarter of 2021.
The 155mm Assegai IR luminous projectiles are used by the artillery troops to illuminate the battlefield and are intended to help improve reconnaissance using the most modern night vision devices. The 155mm smoke bullets are based on Rheinmetall smoke technology already used by NATO forces. The light and smoke projectiles have a range of 40 kilometers with the introduced 155mm L52 howitzer and the modular charging system that was also introduced, as the company writes. By using a special top charge, the range can be increased by another 15 percent.
At the shooting in Alkantpan (South Africa) at the end of the qualification, Rheinmetall presented not only the smoke and infrared luminous bullets but also the new RH141 projectile. This is the newly developed 155mm insensitive explosive projectile, which can be used in the future from the howitzer with an extended barrel (L60) that is currently being developed.
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