Germany Orders 20,000 Practice Rounds for Leopard 2 Tanks

Rheinmetall is set to deliver a supply of 120mm practice ammunition for the German Armed Forces’ Leopard 2 main battle tanks by the end of October.

The 42-million-euro ($42 million) contract includes 10,715 DM98 cartridges and 10,000 DM88 cartridges.

The new practice round, the Cartridge 120mm x 570 DM98 Target Practice-Tracer, has “above-average” accuracy at over 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).

The cartridge features a continuously visible tracer during daylight conditions.

The Bundeswehr first ordered the full-caliber DM98 practice ammunition in 2017, a then-recent and major upgrade over the DM18 cartridge.

Rheinmetall’s DM88 sub-caliber practice cartridge shows similar capabilities as the DM98 in terms of improved tracing and accurate firing.

The practice ammunition is expected to heighten the efficiency of the German-French defense company KMW-produced Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank and its variants.

The combat tanks are known for combined “firepower, protection, mobility and maneuverability” for decisive land power projection amid multifaceted threats.