08 Sep 25. UK disclosure reveals Ajax lacks anti-drone ammunition. The UK has apparently opted not to procure airburst ammunition for its Ajax armoured fighting vehicles. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated that the British Army’s new Ajax armoured fighting vehicles (AFV) will not operate airburst ammunition from the 40mm main gun. Developed by CTA International, the 40mm main gun fires a type of munition known as Cased Telescoped Ammunition intended to offer advantages over more conventional designs, in being more compact and providing increased reliability. According to the MoD, the CTA International weapon is compatible with a range of ammunition types: Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T); Kinetic Energy Airburst (KE-AB); General Purpose Round – Airburst – Tracer (GPR-AB-T); General Purpose Round – Point Detonating – Tracer (GPR-PD-T); General Purpose Round – Kinetic Energy – Tracer (GPR-KE-T); Target Practice – Tracer (TP-T); and Target Practice Reduced Range – Tracer (TPRR-T). However, the UK Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle confirmed on 4 September that of the seven ammunition types, “only the APFSDS-T, GPR-PD-T, and TP-T have been procured for use on Ajax”. According to CTA International, the KE-AB munition delivers a payload of tungsten pellets with a directional terminal effect, considered to be “particularly effective against all aerial threats”, as well as ground applications such as infantry or blinding vehicle optics or antenna. The CTA 40mm main gun is able to reach an elevated firing angle of 85°, ideal for combating drones. The lack of an airburst munition for Ajax is notable given the proliferation of combat drones in the Ukraine-Russia war, where armoured vehicles have proven to be particularly vulnerable to attack from first-person drones and loitering munitions. Such has been the impact of drone use in Ukraine, the British Army is exploring the benefits of so-called ‘cope cages’ fitted to armoured vehicles, effectively applique slat armour that serves to detonate incoming charges prematurely. Earlier this week, the UK MoD confirmed its armoured cavalry programme will deliver a further 55 Ajax-series armoured vehicles between July 2025 and December 2025, for a total of 128 units delivered over the course of the year, according to new official figures. Of 589 Ajax-series armoured vehicles, across six variants, being built for the British Army, 245 will be equipped with the turreted 40mm main gun. (Source: army-technology.com)
BATTLESPACE Comment: This decision comes as some surprise as the Airburst round which took many years and millions of public money to develop, was seen as key to the success full deployment of CT40 for close protection of support infantry. Although the current Ajax system is not used a troop carrier the new version being unveiled at DSEI is seen as possible Warrior replacement. Sources suggest that price played a key role in dropping the airburst rind. Having said that, persistent barrel wear issues identified form the very start of the project by Qinetiq coud be a reason as the airburst munitions will be be fired through the barrel. However GDUK had made important changes to the elevation of the Ajax turret to accommodate the ability to engage UAVs. The lack of an airburst round renders Ajax vulnerable to UAS attack.
05 Sep 25. Poland to choose two partners to build ammunition factories. Poland is set to name two joint venture partners to build ammunition production facilities, the CEO of the Polish Armaments Group, or PGZ, said, as the Ukraine war drives demand for artillery shells. Warsaw believes a partner from abroad will help Poland to produce ammunition from start to finish domestically, reducing reliance on external suppliers. Adam Leszkiewicz, CEO of state-owned PGZ, told Reuters the company is finalising agreements for a projectile plant and a separate propellant facility, with announcements expected in the coming weeks. In March, Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk told Reuters that companies from France, Germany, South Korea and Turkey are competing to establish a joint venture with Poland to manufacture ammunition. Leszkiewicz declined to disclose the origin of the company or say whether it is European. (Source: Reuters)
05 Sep 25. Rheinmetall has taken Europe’s largest ammunition factory in Lower Saxony into operation in order to meet the urgent needs of the armed forces in Europe. The technology group has invested almost €500 m in the construction of the production facility at the Rheinmetall site in Unterluess (Celle district), which was completed in a record time of just 15 months. The presence of many dignitaries from Germany and abroad highlighted the importance of the occasion. Guests present were Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil, Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and General Carsten Breuer, Chief of Defence of the German Armed Forces. The highest-ranking guest was Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria. Olaf Lies, Minister-President of Lower-Saxony, also attended the ceremony, as did many other high-ranking persons, including guests from the United States of America, Latvia and Lithuania. In future, up to 350,000 artillery shells are to be produced annually in Unterluess at the new Lower-Saxony plant (Werk Niedersachsen), which covers an area of around 30,000 m2. The first 25,000 rounds are to be produced before the end of this year. Next year, 140,000 rounds are scheduled for delivery, with full capacity to be reached in 2027. In addition to that, the production of engines for artillery rockets is planned for the year 2026. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger: “After having accelerated the production to the maximum until 2027 and then being at full capacity, the Werk Niedersachsen will be the largest ammunition plant in Europe, if not the world”.
In total, this will create up to 500 jobs – 350 at the plant in Lower-Saxony and a further 150 in the rocket engine production, which is still under development. Hundreds of more jobs will thus be created in areas such as supplementary services and suppliers.
The supply of ammunition is essential for restoring the defence capabilities of Germany and its European allies. Rheinmetall takes on the responsibility as a leading manufacturer and is investing at large-scale at various locations. Most recently, in the summer of 2023, the Düsseldorf-based group spent around €1.2 bn on the acquisition of Spanish manufacturer Expal Systems. Rheinmetall plans to produce a total of around 1.5 m artillery shells per year from 2027 onwards throughout its production network, which also includes sites in Spain and South Africa.
The urgency of the defence alliance’s need for ammunition was underscored in Unterluess by a major order from NATO member Romania, which was placed just before the inauguration ceremony began. Radu-Dinel Miruță, Romania’s Minister of Economy, and Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, signed a Letter of Intent which is the basis for the next steps. Together with partners, Rheinmetall plans to invest around €550 m in the new plant in Romania.
Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius: “Your success means security for our country”
The politicians praised the importance of the plant for Germany and Europe: “We are herewith investing in our security”, emphasised Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil in his speech. The Vice-Chancellor also reiterated: “This plant indicates that we are taking action”.
Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius addressed Rheinmetall and the defence industry as a whole: “We want you to be successful, because your success means security for our country”. And then continued: “You, the industry, deliver what is important: speed and substance”. He also categorized Germany’s efforts to increase arms production for the armed forces massively in the context of alliance policy: “NATO must become more European so that it can remain transatlantic”.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasised in his speech: “Strong and successful is exactly what Rheinmetall is”. He cast a warning glance at the massive armament efforts in Russia and China: “Their military build-up points in a clear direction: they are preparing for long-term confrontation and competition – with us”.
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger accented: “From the groundbreaking to production in just 15 months – that’s a real turning point at Rheinmetall speed”. Since the ground-breaking ceremony in February 2024 and in just over a year of construction work, Rheinmetall has created the possibility to independently meet the requirements of the German Armed Forces from national production in the future and, if required, to guarantee independent deliveries to partner countries. “Our new national production facility is setting standards and will, above all, ensure the supply of the German Armed Forces”. Rheinmetall is not limiting itself to Germany when it comes to building such plants: “This means that we can also erect comparable plants in other NATO-countries within a very short time, thus creating a pan-European defence ecosystem”, Papperger emphasised. “For example, we have already launched specific projects in Lithuania and the United Kingdom, with more to follow”.
Rheinmetall in Unterluess
The traditional site in Unterluess, which Rheinmetall has been operating in the Suedheide region since 1899, is currently the Group’s largest worldwide with 3,200 employees. Two companies are based here: Rheinmetall Landsystems GmbH and Rheinmetall Weapon and Munition GmbH. Unterluess is also an important location for Rheinmetall IT Solutions GmbH. Alongside the ammunition production, the site’s activities also focus on the development and manufacture of weapon systems. At the same time, Rheinmetall maintains its competence centre for the development, construction and support of tracked vehicles here.
The company owns an area that covers a total area of about 60 square kilometres which is largely used as a firing and testing range. Nevertheless, large parts of it are also used for forestry.
05 Sep 25. Hanwha Aerospace, and its Europe based subsidiary Hanwha Aerospace Europe, along with the Polish Military Institute of Armament Technology (WITU), have signed a strategic cooperation MOU during the MSPO 2025 international defence exhibition. This agreement paves the way for deeper industrial cooperation and is a foundational step toward strengthening Poland’s sovereign defence capabilities, particularly in the ammunition sector. Under this MOU, Hanwha Aerospace and WITU have agreed to collaborate on various aspects of ammunition technology, including the design, testing, production, management, and life-cycle research of ammunition and propellants for Modular Charge Systems (MCS). The partnership will focus on joint qualification testing of 155mm ammunition based on platforms currently in operation by the Polish Armed Forces, the collaborative development of research methodologies and life-cycle testing programs, and the promotion of joint research and development projects to strengthen ties between academia and industry.
Colonel Paweł Sweklej, Director of WITU, said “This agreement opens up new possibilities for joint R&D projects and will materially strengthen Poland’s defence capabilities by building sustainable synergy with international partners.”
Billy Boo Hwan Lee, the Head of the PGM Business Group of Hanwha Aerospace said, “We are delighted to cooperate with WITU. I am confident that our joint initiatives in R&D and scientific exchange will strengthen our mutual capabilities and contribute to the development of innovative solutions for security and defence. As a key supplier to the Polish Armed Forces, Hanwha Aerospace views this cooperation as an opportunity to exchange and develop knowledge and best practices.”
Jacek Cyrek, the Head of Hanwha Aerospace Europe, added, “Strengthening cooperation with academia and industry is crucial for Hanwha. It builds sustainable bilateral relationships and lays the foundation for future technological breakthroughs. Cooperation with WITU, not only fosters technological advancement but also helps build a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship, which is key to future innovation.”
This strategic alliance marks a significant step toward enhancing Poland’s self-reliance in the defense sector. This deep technical collaboration serves as a cornerstone for establishing a sovereign production capability, ensuring a stable ammunition supply for Poland’s self-propelled howitzers and ultimately positioning Poland as a strategic hub for ammunition production and supply within the European and NATO framework.
04 Sep 25. Tiberius Aerospace secures UK MoD contract to develop Sceptre, their revolutionary new Ramjet 155mm munition. Tiberius Aerospace is a modern defence technology company built to empower the UK, US and their global allies with next generation weapon systems and AI powered solutions. Tiberius is announcing the award of a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contract for the rapid trials and development of their liquid fuelled, 155mm Ramjet extended-range precision-guided artillery munition, called Sceptre (TRBM 155HG). The specific details of the contract cannot be disclosed, but this contract puts the UK MoD in the position of being the launch customer for Tiberius Aerospace, investing in this exciting new technology and the US Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) who are facilitating the independent verification and validation for the testing of the technology. Tiberius is an Aerospace sponsor at DSEi 25, Excel, London 9 – 12 September 2025 with dedicated meeting space and will share its ‘Silicon Valley’ approach to rapid design and development, and how there are opening up this approach to the entire defence industry with the launch of their GRAIL platform at 15:00hrs on Wednesday, 10th September 2025 at 1500 hrs at the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) keynote forum, alongside UK and US defence innovation experts and those with recent operational experience.
Tiberius Aerospace was founded in 2022 by Chad Steelberg and Andy Baynes and Tiberius emerged from stealth mode at Future Artillery in May 2025 with the launch of Sceptre. The founders and Tiberius team have extensive Silicon Valley success and experience with technology giants such as Google and Apple. The Tiberius team of engineers, strategists and entrepreneurs are applying best practices, innovative design and engineering expertise from multiple commercial sectors to deliver superior precision and dramatically improve the cost effectiveness of deep strike capabilities.
Sceptre (TRBM 155HG) is a revolutionary new 155mm ramjet extended-range precision-guided ballistic munition reaching speeds of Mach 3.5 and altitudes in excess of 65,000 feet (beyond jamming range). Sceptre has an extended range up to 150km depending on payload (max 5.2kg) and superior targeting precision with a circular error probability (CEP) of less than 5m, even in GPS contested battlespaces, compared to over 100m for traditional artillery. Designed with the customer and end user foremost, the system is fully compatible with NATO standard 155mm artillery platforms and its ignition system and limited barrel contact points minimises barrel degradation. To reduce the logistics burden, minimise storage and in-transit safety hazards, and maximise shelf life beyond 20 years, Sceptre uses a proprietary just-in-time, multi-fuel (diesel, JP-4 and JP-8) liquid propellent design.
Andy Baynes, co-founder and CSO of Tiberius Aerospace said, “Since the launch of Sceptre in May 2025, Tiberius has evolved the capability at pace through a series of high tempo live-firing and synthetic test cycles. We’re delighted to announce this UK MoD contract which has invested early in our technology development cycle. This is testament to the UK’s visionary leadership and their understanding of the importance of driving innovative solutions such as Sceptre and Defense-as-a-Service to increase national security.”