Framework contract extended: Bundeswehr orders 30mm ammunition for Puma infantry fighting vehicles from Rheinmetall – new order worth several hundred million euros

January 05, 2026 – The Bundeswehr has once again placed an order with Rheinmetall for 30mm ammunition for Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). The German Armed Forces placed the order for additional cartridges as part of an extended framework contract concluded in 2022. The new order is worth several hundred million euros.

In December 2022, the Bundeswehr signed a framework contract with Rheinmetall for the supply of 30mm x 173 ammunition for the Puma IFV. This framework contract, which runs until 2029, has now been extended in terms of delivery quantity and order volume. It provides for the delivery of several hundred thousand cartridges worth around €1 billion. At the same time, a medium six-figure quantity of ammunition was retrieved. The order intake amounts to several hundred million euros.

To strengthen its Puma fleet, the German Armed Forces recently commissioned joint venture partners Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland to supply 200 additional IFV’s. The Puma is equipped with Rheinmetall’s MK30-2/ABM (Airburst Munition) machine gun. It combines a high rate of fire with programmable state-of-the-art ammunition technology. This makes the MK30-2/ABM an extremely reliable and uncompromising weapon system. With an effective range of over 2,000 metres, the MK30-2/ABM is extremely powerful against land, air and sea targets.

Rheinmetall is a key supplier of combat ammunition to the Bundeswehr. The corporation produces and supplies two types of combat ammunition for the Puma IFV: KE-TF DM21 and KE DM33 in 30 mm x 173 calibre. Both types of ammunition have been developed and certified in accordance with the latest standards, offering unrivalled reliability, effectiveness, penetration and precision worldwide. The programmable KE-TF (Kinetic Energy Time Fuse) ammunition is highly reliable and enables the Puma IFV to engage larger soft and semi-hard surface targets, as well as drones.

The order underscores Rheinmetall’s position as a leading supplier of 30mm medium-calibre ammunition to the Bundeswehr. It reflects the armed forces’ efforts to replenish their stocks and increase their ammunition reserves in light of the current security situation. Rheinmetall is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of medium-calibre ammunition.

File photo coutresy Rheinmetall