US Navy awards contract to Rheinmetall to develop new airburst munition
Rheinmetall said last week that the Group’s subsidiary American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc. based in Stafford, VA has been awarded a $14.3 million (€13.5 million) contract under a U.S. Navy other transaction agreement (OTA) to prototype a low-cost engagement capability that increases the effectiveness of existing and future Naval gun weapon systems against air and surface threats.
The resulting prototype system will lead to an Initial Operating Capability for the 30mm x 173 MK 340 MOD 0 Kinetic Energy Electronically Timed (KEET) airburst munition. The MK 340 KEET is derived from the NATO-qualified Rheinmetall 30mm x 173 Kinetic Energy Timed Fuze (KETF) cartridge currently fielded by the Australian, German, and Hungarian militaries. The system will provide significant lethality improvements and a reduction in rounds fired due to the increased first-round hit probability.
“We are excited to deliver our next-generation lethality solutions to the U.S. Navy for the first time. This award further demonstrates American Rheinmetall’s ability to bring innovative technologies into the hands of our U.S. Joint Force,” said American Rheinmetall Munitions CEO John Somich.