Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) is developing a ramjet-powered 155 mm artillery round that will have a range of 155 km. The round is still in the development phase, but RDM has already conducted some test firings. The company believes that the ramjet round will be able to achieve some of the longest ranges on the market according to a defenceWeb’s report.
Ramjets are air-breathing engines that use the forward motion of the projectile to compress the air entering the engine. This compressed air is then mixed with fuel and ignited, creating thrust. Ramjets are more efficient than rocket engines at high speeds, making them ideal for long-range artillery rounds.
In 2021, Rheinmetall Denel Munition finalized a ten-year agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop precision and long-range ammunition technology for future artillery operations.
The agreement signed in February 2021, will see the joint venture focus on developing and offering enhanced ammunition technology to the international market, including the United States, to support future artillery operations.
RDM’s ramjet round is based on the company’s VLAP (Velocity Enhanced Artillery Projectile) ammunition. The VLAP round uses a rocket booster to achieve a range of 54 km. The ramjet round will replace the rocket booster with a ramjet engine, which will allow it to achieve a much longer range.
“I’m very proud of our artillery ammunition,” outgoing RDM CEO Jan-Patrick Helmsen recently told military attaches during a tour of the company’s Boskop facility. “We have the longest artillery arms in the world.” However, he said the company has seen competition slowly creeping in for its VLAP (Velocity Enhanced Artillery Projectile) ammunition and so is looking at other technologies like ramjet propulsion to stay ahead.
Although the ramjet round has a longer range than conventional artillery, is has reduced payload. However, the ramjet round is much cheaper than missiles with similar range. Some test firing of the new RDM ramjet rounds has taken place, but further work is still ongoing, as it is a challenging endeavour to perfect ramjet technology.
RDM is not the only company developing ramjet-powered artillery rounds. Boeing and Nammo are also working on a similar project. However, RDM believes that its round will be more affordable and easier to maintain than other designs.
If successful, RDM’s ramjet round could revolutionize the artillery landscape. It would give artillery forces a much longer reach, which would make them more effective in modern warfare.
In addition to the ramjet round, RDM is also developing other new artillery technologies. The company is working on a new type of rocket-assisted mortar that can extend the range of mortars to 20 km. RDM is also developing new types of ammunition for its 155 mm and 105 mm artillery guns.
RDM is a leading supplier of artillery ammunition to the South African military. The company also exports its products to customers around the world. The development of the ramjet round and other new artillery technologies is a sign of RDM’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve in the global artillery market.
In July, Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), announced that it is working around the clock and investing significant funds to meet the global demand for artillery ammunition. The CEO of RDM, Jan-Patrick Helmsen, disclosed this information during a recent military attache demonstration at the company’s Boskop facility near Potchefstroom. Helmsen explained that with the current state of global instability and uncertainty, countries are allocating more resources to national security, leading to a thriving defence industry worldwide.
Recently, an Asian customer ordered 400,000 rounds of 40 mm ammunition worth 25 million euros.
Rheinmetall also highlighted the noteworthy contracts of a multi-year supply of ammunition worth 848 million euros to the Hungarian armed forces and the delivery of an explosives factory valued at 192 million euros in the same country.
Overall, Rheinmetall’s operating profits grew by 27% in 2022 to reach 754 million euros, with a record order book of 26.6 billion euros. The group anticipates continued sales growth and stable high margins in 2023, projecting consolidated sales to rise from 6.4 billion euros in 2022 to 7.4-7.6 billion euros this year.