By Dylan Malyasov
Copyright defence-blog
German defense company Rheinmetall has been commissioned to supply a large volume of artillery ammunition to an Eastern European customer under a U.S. government program, underscoring the growing transatlantic demand for heavy munitions amid the ongoing conflict-driven rearmament push in Europe. As a subcontractor to Global Military Products (GMP), a U.S.-based defense supplier awarded a Pentagon contract, Rheinmetall Expal Munitions will deliver 155mm M107 artillery projectiles with M4A2 propellant charges and 105mm M1 shells. The total value of Rheinmetall’s contract is around €444 million ($521 million), the company said. Of that amount, €170 million had already been booked as a pre-order, with the remaining €274 million now confirmed as new business. Deliveries under the contract are scheduled to begin in 2026 and conclude by June 2027. The Düsseldorf-based defense group aims to produce up to 1.5 million 155mm artillery shells per year by 2027 — a figure that would place it among the most prolific suppliers of NATO-standard ammunition worldwide. “The order underscores Rheinmetall’s high level of expertise and manufacturing capacity in the field of ammunition,” the company said in a statement. The order is part of a larger framework contract awarded by the U.S. Army to Global Military Products, based in Tampa, Florida. The company received a $640 million contract for the procurement of 155mm high-explosive artillery rounds under the Special Ammunitions and Weapons Systems (SAWS) program. According to a Department of War announcement, bids for the contract were solicited online, and two offers were received. The Army Contracting Command at Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting authority for the deal, listed under W519TC-25-F-0388. Work locations and funding details will be determined with each order, and the estimated completion date is July 10, 2027. The SAWS program provides a dedicated channel for acquiring ammunition and mortar systems that have not undergone full U.S. Army safety testing or type classification. Because these items cannot be procured through standard Army supply channels, SAWS enables their acquisition for use with non-U.S. weapon platforms. The ammunition deliveries under the Rheinmetall contract will support an Eastern European customer whose armed forces operate a mix of NATO-standard and Soviet-era artillery systems. The ability to source both 155mm NATO and 105mm legacy-caliber projectiles is seen as critical for sustaining combined fleets and ensuring interoperability with Western-supplied weapons.
