DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support) CEO Andy Start, in his role as UK National Armament Director, met his German counterpart, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, where they signed a Statement of Intent to collaborate on the Enhanced Kinetic Energy (EKE) round, which will provide a step change in the British Army’s ability to defeat evolving enemy threats.
Demonstrating that the new munition passes all legal and regulatory standards, this next phase of “qualification” marks a significant milestone in the ammunition’s programme.
Ongoing discussions will seek a joint programme to be stood up this year, with the aim for the EKE ammunition to be used on Challenger 3.
They would be fired from the L55A1 turret on Challenger 3 and German Leopard 2 Main Battle Tanks, supporting interoperability with NATO allies. The agreement follows both countries announcing the gifting of a squadron of their respective Main Battle Tanks to support Ukraine in its fight to counter Russia’s illegal invasion.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Germany and the UK will also remain open for other nations to join the co-operation or be export recipients, as well as continuing discussions on potential collaboration for other types of 120mm tank ammunition.
As the programme develops, the sharing of work between the countries will be key to ensuring a sustainable industrial capacity for both nations’ industries.
In February, UK MOD announced the approved the Critical Design Review (CDR) for Challenger 3 ahead of schedule. The progression of this programme at pace has been made possible by the collaborative working between DE&S, the British Army and our industry partners Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL).
