MOSCOW, June 20 German defense concern Rheinmetall announced on Thursday that it had received a record order in its recent history for the supply of 155-mm artillery ammunition worth up to 8.5 billion euros.
«The Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall has received a framework contract from the Bundeswehr (German armed forces — ed.) for the supply of 155-mm artillery ammunition worth up to 8.5 billion euros gross,» the company said in a statement.
The first deliveries under the contract are reported to be made in early 2025. The main buyer will be Germany, with some of the received ammunition to be transferred to Ukraine. Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia are also participating in the order.
«We are very pleased with the largest order in the recent history of our company. This large framework contract underlines Rheinmetall's leading role as an ammunition supplier in Germany and our position as the world's largest manufacturer of artillery ammunition,» said Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.
In October, the Welt publication reported that Rheinmetall had increased prices for 155-mm ammunition, which is in demand in the conflict in Ukraine, by more than 1.5 times since the start of the special military operation.
It is reported that the entire production cycle will be localized at a plant in the community of Unterlüs in Lower Saxony. In the second year of production, the concern plans to produce 100 thousand ammunition per year, and later plans to increase the production rate to 200 thousand per year.