France orders Naval Ammunition from Diehl

Diehl Defence has received an order from France to develop and qualify modern naval ammunition. It constitutes a refinement of the 76 mm naval ammunition employed worldwide. The new ammunition is being realized with insensitive explosives and is scheduled for deployment in the Oto Melara SUPER RAPIDO L-62 naval guns of the new frigates FREMM and HORIZON from 2015. The 76 mm ammunition is capable of engaging both air and sea targets as well as coastal targets.

Diehl Defence will thus become the first supplier worldwide of naval ammunition meeting the requirements of insensitive ammunition (IM) according to STANAG. As opposed to the old variant, it prevents detonation of the ammunition in case of enemy shelling or fire on board. This contributes to the protection of the vessel´s crew.

Diehl Defence has so far delivered approx. 300,000 cartridges of the conventional ammunition to the naval forces of Germany, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Canada, Ecuador, Columbia, Qatar, the Netherlands, Turkey and other nations.

The new 76 mm naval ammunition is a joint cooperation of Diehl Defence and the French manufacturer Nexter Munitions. The company JUNGHANS T2M from La Ferté Saint-Aubin, France, supplies the fuze. The propellant charge system is delivered by the firm Nitrochemie Wimmis, Switzerland.