The Bundeswehr has ordered almost one million smoke grenades for the troops. A corresponding framework agreement for production and delivery was signed this week by the President of the Bundeswehr Procurement Office, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, with the manufacturer Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH was concluded. A total of up to 1.5 million DM 45 smoke grenades can be procured from the agreement over the coming years.
The budget committee of the German Bundestag had previously approved the project as part of a so-called “25 million bill”. https://militaeraktuell.at/panther24-jaegerbataillon_17_uebung_allentsteig/ Financed from the special assets of the Bundeswehr, the agreement that has now been concluded – with the commissioning of almost one million smoke grenades – has a volume of around 67 million euros. This will allow the ammunition to be called up flexibly each year until 2027 based on the identified requirements of the troops. The grenade with the official designation “grenade, hand, DM45, 800 g, KM” has been in service with the Bundeswehr since the mid-1990s. Unlike anti-personnel hand grenades, this ammunition does not explode. The pyrotechnic charge in the grenade produces heavy smoke when it burns. The resulting smoke screen can obscure the view of enemy forces and disguise the movements of friendly troops. The smoke grenade fully meets the requirements of the troops during training, exercises and operations.
Here for further reports about Rheinmetall and here to further reports on the Bundeswehr.
