Rheinmetall to Deliver 155mm Modular Artillery Charges to Ukraine

The German defense company Rheinmetall, which has become a key defense partner for Ukraine, announced on Wednesday that it has secured a contract from Kyiv’s Ministry of Defense to supply its 155mm artillery modular charge system.

The order, valued at approximately €9 million ($9.4 million) is said to consist of tens of thousands of the propellant charge modules of various types that are scheduled for delivery in January 2025.

Modular propellant charges are a critical development for use by modern artillery as they allow the user to match charges with a variety of projectiles to achieve the desired range. Rheinmetall’s Artillery Modular Charge System (AMCS) was qualified into service with the Bundeswehr in 1996 and is certified for all NATO standard 39 and 52 caliber gun configurations and current in-service projectiles.

Modular charges were designed primarily for use in self-propelled artillery, where there are automatic gun loading systems, several types of which Ukraine has received from its Western partners. Depending on the required operational range, the number and mix of modular charges is calculated automatically by the systems computer software. This  not only optimizes the accuracy of the gun system but also minimizes waste.

The system is based on two variations, the DM82A1 low zone pack that consists of three interlinking semi-rigid charge bags that can be used in combination, and the DM92 high zone module which comprises five variable-sized semi-rigid charge bags that are each rated for a fixed range.

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The AMCS is currently in service with more than ten countries, including NATO members, and is undergoing qualification assessment with several others. To date Rheinmetall has provided more than 1.5 million of the modules, which offer the ability to operate over the temperature range of – 46°C to + 63°C.

The provision of the propellant charges is part of the undertaking Rheinmetall made to strengthen its strategic cooperation that resulted from the memorandum of understanding it signed with Kyiv at the “Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024” held in Berlin in June. The agreement was finalized with the aim of enhancing cooperation between Rheinmetall and Ukraine’s defense sector and expanding local manufacturing capabilities.

Among the projects in development are factories aimed at the production of artillery ammunition Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and air defense systems. In October the head of Rheinmetall Armin Papperger announced that four weapon manufacturing plants were under development with a production facility and a maintenance facility already operational.

In addition to the production of propellant charges, Rheinmetall has also begun to develop a 155mm artillery ammunition plant in the city of Baisogala in Lithuania that will be launched by mid-2026. This ammunition is intended for use in the Lithuanian army’s German PzH-2000 and French CAESAR artillery systems.