South African company Denel produces new artillery rounds 81003173

Posted On
Defense & Security Industry News - Denel
 
South African company Denel produces new artillery rounds
Rheinmetall Denel Munition’s process of continuous upgrade and enhancements of various products in its range of offerings to the SANDF and defence forces around the world has resulted in the successful qualification of the range extending M2005 Velocity Enhanced Artillery Projectile (VLAP) for an international client. The qualification was concluded from a PzH2000 52 calibre gun system and once again entrenched RDM’s position as world leader in the field of artillery.
     
Rheinmetall Denel Munition’s process of continuous upgrade and enhancements of various products in its range of offerings to the SANDF and defence forces around the world has resulted in the successful qualification of the range extending M2005 Velocity Enhanced Artillery Projectile (VLAP) for an international client. The qualification was concluded from a PzH2000 52 calibre gun system and once again entrenched RDM’s position as world leader in the field of artillery.
RDM M2005 VLAP shell (credit: Rheinmetall Denel Munition)
     
“The 155 mm Assegai series has global significance in the field of artillery ammunition and consists of different projectile variants, covering the requirements of most users in training and combat today” says CEO, Norbert Schulze. Like RDM’s M1 and M9 series of 155mm ammunition on offer, the enhanced 155mm Assegai also includes a base bleed on all projectile types for additional range enhancement.

Commenting on the new Assegai M2005 VLAP, he said that it is fitted with a natural fragmenting HE warhead. Its distinguishable feature includes a rocket motor and fixed base bleed unit. Both are designed to function outside the barrel. External ballistics are influenced by an additional impulse from the rocket motor and separate range tables are provided for the VLAP. Schulze maintained that the M2005 HE VLAP holds the same aero ballistic profile and characteristics of all other projectiles in the Assegai series.

Comparable to other ammunition in the Assegai series, the M2005 VLAP is compatible with 39-, 45- and 52 calibre artillery guns of NATO and non-NATO origin. The latest qualification of the VLAP has demonstrated the optimisation of the inter-operability between the base bleed and the rocket motor and has enhanced the sea level range which can be obtained from various compatible gun systems.

Full scale production of the M2005 VLAP has commenced and first delivery to the client has been completed. The next series of improvements include enhancements on the insensitive munition HE fill, further carrier projectiles, and improved lethality IHE PFF projectiles, all of which will be available to market in the near future.