Germany Overtakes US in Ammunition Production Capacity
Key takeaways
- Medium-caliber ammunition rounds are larger than the bullets in machine guns but smaller than shells fired by popular artillery systems like howitzers.
- Newsweek reached out to Rheinmetall for comment.
- European countries are rushing to refill military stockpiles after U.S.
Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Germany can now produce more ammunition than the U.S., according to the head of German defense giant Rheinmetall, as a massive rearmament campaign gets underway in Europe.
Rheinmetall has more than quadrupled its annual production of medium-caliber ammunition, and ramped up output of artillery rounds to 1.1 million, up from 70,000, chief executive Armin Papperger told reporters last week, according to German media.
Medium-caliber ammunition rounds are larger than the bullets in machine guns but smaller than shells fired by popular artillery systems like howitzers. They're typically used in autocannons on tanks or armored vehicles, like the U.S. Army's Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.