Rheinmetall has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to supply projectile charging modules for 155 mm artillery guns. The total value of the deal, concluded in the fourth quarter of 2024, is estimated at approximately 9 million euros.
Points of attention
- Rheinmetall has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the supply of modules for 155-mm artillery worth 9 million euros.
- Rheinmetall's partnership with Ukraine underscores their strategic defense cooperation.
- Ukraine will receive tens of thousands of projectile charging modules of various types for artillery guns.
- Rheinmetall, together with Ukrainian partners, is developing software for unmanned systems that will increase the effectiveness of military operations.
- Creating a single communication standard for drones among NATO countries will facilitate coordination of actions and increase the defense capabilities of allies.
Rheinmetall to supply Ukraine with modules for 155-mm artillery guns
Under the terms of the contract, the company will supply several tens of thousands of 155-mm projectile modules of various types. The first deliveries are expected to take place as early as January 2025.
In modern artillery systems, shells and propellant charges are used separately, which allows you to adjust the firing range, Rheinmetall representatives noted.
Rheinmetall remains one of the world's key manufacturers of large-caliber ammunition and propellant systems. The company also plays a leading role as a strategic partner of Ukraine in the defense fight against Russian aggression.
Rheinmetall, together with the US, is developing software for Ukrainian drones
In the overall transition from manned to unmanned systems, it is very important that autonomous systems can interact with each other, said Lorenz Mayer, CEO of Auterion, whose software is already used by drones in Ukraine.
The Auterion operating system will allow “the customer to unify all drones on a common basis and integrate different manufacturers into a common architecture.
According to Timo Haas, Rheinmetall's digital director, there are over "two hundred different unmanned aerial systems operating in Ukraine," "military training is very expensive and time-consuming, and the compatibility of the systems is not guaranteed."
The development of a uniform operating system will ensure efficient and scalable deployment of unmanned systems.
Auterion, along with other companies, is already part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s initiative to develop an open-source standard for autonomous systems, and the company hopes its partnership with Rheinmetall will help to introduce a similar approach among NATO allies.
If “each NATO country has its own communications standard for drones, NATO will not be able to fight together,” Mayer said.
