Nearly one million smoke hand grenades for the troops

The Bundeswehr ordered a large quantity of smoke hand grenades. On 22 May 2024, the director-general of the Bundeswehr Procurement Office, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, and representatives of the manufacturer Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbHGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung signed an open-end contract for the production and delivery of the ammunition.

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Beforehand, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag had approved the project within the scope of a so-called "25 million submission". Any Bundeswehr procurement with an investment volume of 25 million euros or more requires the prior approval of the parliament.

Smoke protects the troops

The grenade with the official designation "grenade, hand, DM45, 800 g, KM" has been in use by the Bundeswehr since the mid-1990s. Some information lies hidden in this Bundeswehr-specific designation: It is a hand grenade for the German armed forces that weighs 800 grams.

The operating principle is simple and effective: The grenade contains a pyrotechnic charge, which does not explode, but generates heavy smoke. This creates a very dense smoke screen that denies enemy observation and obscures friendly movements. This type of camouflage buys the soldiers more time. Time that can protect the soldiers when they have to defend themselves.

Whether for the training of the forces, during exercises or on operations: The smoke hand grenade meets all applicable requirements.

Demand for the next few years secured

The order placed now, which is financed using the Bundeswehr Special Fund, has a volume of around 67 million euros if the nearly one million DM45 smoke hand grenades are commissioned. This allows for annually flexible and demand-oriented ordering of ammunition for the forces until 2027.

Based on this agreement, a total of up to 1.5 million smoke hand grenades can be procured over the next few years.