The new KE2020Neo ammunition demonstrated its qualification readiness. Credit: Rheinmetall AG.

German company Rheinmetall has successfully completed the qualification readiness of its latest generation 120mm enhanced armour-piercing kinetic energy (KE) ammunition.

The new KE2020Neo or enhanced Kinetic Energy (eKE) ammunition is designed to counter advance protection technologies.

Related Company Profiles

View all

As a result, the Germany armed forces Bundeswehr and the British Army have commissioned Rheinmetall to produce qualification samples of KE2020Neo.

The qualification samples are reportedly part of a collaborative project between Germany and the UK focused on enhancing Leopard 2 and Challenger 3 main battle tanks with advanced kinetic energy ammunition.

It follows a contract signed by the Federal Office for the Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr and the management of Rheinmetall Waffe Munition in September 2020.

See Also:

The new 120mm x 570 KE2020Neo kinetic energy ammunition features new technologies that enables its high-strength tungsten penetrator to breach the latest armour protection technologies.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

It continues Rheinmetall’s legacy in kinetic energy projectiles development. The DM13 was the first in this lineage to be used, followed by DM23 in the mid-1980s, and later the DM33.

The company noted that the upgrade of Leopard 2 to the A6 version saw the development of the performance enhanced DM53 and DM63, which are predecessors to the Bundeswehr’s current DM73, an advanced version used with the L55A1 high-pressure weapon.

Rheinmetall’s 120mm smoothbore technology, including the Rh120 guns and associated ammunition family, is a NATO and western hemisphere standard. It is equipped on tanks like the Leopard 2, M1 Abrams, and the British Challenger 3.

Challenger 3 is being produced by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) under an £800m ($1bn) contract.