Rheinmetall will receive over €130 million in funding from the European Union to increase ammunition production. 

Hence, more than a quarter of the total sum of €500 million awarded by the EU under the Act of Support in Ammunition Production (ASAP) in order to expand the production of 155mm artillery ammunition and powder will be channelled into a total of six projects by Rheinmetall AG’s European subsidiaries. 

According to a relevant announcement, the programme will support projects in Germany, Hungary, Romania and Spain. ASAP is the first EU funding programme for the expansion of ammunition production. The corresponding grant agreements are expected to be signed in May 2024.

Rheinmetall has been increasing its production capacities since 2022 and the company aims at producing up to 1.1 million artillery shells per year by 2027. In addition, up to 1.5 million propellant modules and 3,000 tonnes of RDX explosives are to be produced annually starting in 2026.

Further tenders are expected in the future. In its recently published proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the EU plans to promote the expansion of production capacities for other defence products.

Also read: Rheinmetall and ROMARM to build powder factory in Romania