Rheinmetall Waffe Munition - Air Weapon and Protection Systems

RWM offers a wide array of state-of-the-art products for aircraft armament, ranging from aircraft cannons through to array flares, decoys air target simulators and ammunition. These include for example the Aircraft Cannon BK 27 for the Eurofighter, Gripen, Tornado and Alpha Jet as well as the spectrally balanced IR decoys BIRDIE and Array Flare DM69 A2.

WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION - AIRCRAFT CANNON MAUSER BK 27

The revolver cannon BK 27 was developed against the stringent requirements for Nato air forces for the use in the Tornado aircraft. Today, more than 3,000 BK 27 are in service all over the world, in aircraft such as the Tornado, the Alpha Jet and the Gripen. The performance assessment of aircraft cannons for the Eurofighter in the 1980s resulted in no alternative to the BK 27.

The main features of the BK 27mm are high performance, high kill probability and reliability using a broad variety of ammunition.

For the Eurofighter, the BK 27 installation introduced, for the first time for a revolver gun, a linkless-closed ammunition feed system, the Linkless Ammunition Box (LAB). Apart from eliminating the risks associated with the ejection of cases and links, such a self-contained feeding system results in a significant volume reduction of about 60%. Thus, a risk free and modular adapted weapon system is available for integration into future fighter aircraft.

FAPDS AMMUNITION - FRANGIBLE ARMOUR PIERCING

The "Frangible" concept was developed to defeat both "hard" and "soft" targets, without recourse to the use of conventional high explosives and fuses. Based on the well-proven Oerlikon Contraves sub-calibre technology, employing an in-situ plastic-moulded tungsten alloy core with integrated driving band, the FAPDS ammunition has a very high muzzle velocity. As a result, a flat projectile trajectory and a short flight time significantly increase the hit probability. The FAP rounds were especifically designed for aircraft cannon such as the M 39 and M 61.

AIRCRAFT PROTECTION

RWM develops high efficient spectrally balanced infrared decoys, array flares and spot flares to protect carrier aircrafts, helicopters and jets against infrared-guided missiles.

The DM 69 A2 array flare is a spectrally balanced infrared 1in x 2in decoy. A short reaction time and controlled separation combined with high radiant intensity render the DM 69 A2 eminently suitable for protection against modern SAM / AAM with IR seeker heads, including those with two-colour ratio discrimination. The efficiency of the DM 69 A2 is seeker tested and operationally proven.

The new generation BIRDIE flares are specially balanced infrared decoys available in the calibres 1in x 1in x 8in and 2in x 1in x 8in. The flare is designed for the protection of any kind of helicopter, transport aircraft or jet. Through replication of the aircraft signature in the mid-wave infrared BIRDIE perfectly decoys modern surface-to-air missiles.

The programme is rounded up by the RAMSES H portable fireable decoy, especially designed for helicopter protection.

AIR TARGET SIMULATOR

The LZS 5000 is a system for realistic simulation of air targets. It is flexible in use and is suitable for training with short-range ground-to-air rockets.

COMPANY

The companies comprising RHEINMETALL's Weapon Munition (RWM) division - Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, RWM Schweiz AG (the former Oerlikon Contraves Pyrotec AG), Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Arges GmbH and the Nitrochemie group - offer a diverse range of products in the units: Large Calibre, Medium Calibre, Propellants and Protection Systems / Pyrotechnics. The new Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH was formed by the step-by-step merger of Rheinmetall W&M GmbH, Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH, BUCK Neue Technologien GmbH, Pyrotechnik Silberhütte GmbH and the NICO group.

See also:
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH - Large Calibre Weapon Systems and Ammunition
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH - Medium Calibre Weapon Systems and Ammunition
Nitrochemie / Rheinmetall Weapon Munition - Artillery and Mortar Charge Systems, Propulsion Systems and Components
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH - Protection Systems and Pyrotechnics
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Arges GmbH - Hand Grenades, 40mm Low Velocity Grenades and 40mm High Velocity Grenades
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH - Naval Weapon and Protection Systems