The British armaments director and CEO of the armaments authority DE&S, Andy Start, and his German counterpart, head of the equipment department in the BMVg Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, signed a declaration of intent on April 27 in London on cooperation on EKE (Enhanced Kinetic Energy) ammunition.
According to DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support), which is part of the British Ministry of Defense, the new ammunition is intended equally for the British Challenger 3 main battle tank and the German Leopard 2 main battle tank, which are used in Germany, NATO and other countries.
According to DE&S, the current talks are aimed at setting up a joint program this year, under which the EKE ammunition for the Challenger 3 is to be approved. With the proof that the new ammunition meets all legal and regulatory standards, this next phase of "qualification" represents an important milestone in the ammunition program. As the program progresses, the division of labor between the two countries will be crucial to ensure a sustainable to ensure industrial capacity for the industries of both countries.
Großbritannien hat 2021 das Rheinmetall-BAE Systems-Joint Venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) mit der Lieferung von 148 voll digitalisierten Kampfpanzern Challenger 3 an das britische Heer als Nachrüstung der derzeitigen Challenger-2-Flotte beauftragt. Im Februar 2023 konnte nach Bestehen des Critical Design Reviews der Bau der Prototypen beginnen. Der Challenger 3 ist mit der Rheinmetall Glattrohrkanone 120mm/L55A1, die neueste Ausführung der Kanone, ausgerüstet, die in Verbindung mit neuer Munition höhere Anfangsgeschwindigkeiten der Geschosse ermöglicht. Damit werden Präzision und Wirksamkeit im Ziel des Waffensystems deutlich gesteigert.
The standardized ammunition will not only benefit cooperation with many NATO allies on the battlefield, but also hold significant export potential for the British and German defense industry, said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.
As DE&S writes, the new agreement provides that Germany and the United Kingdom will also give other countries the opportunity to join the cooperation or become exporters, and that talks on possible cooperation on other types of 120mm tank ammunition will continue become. According to Stawitzki, another partner's application is already on the table.
Editors / gwh
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