Rheinmetall took over an ammunition factory in Várpalota, Hungary, on 29 July. (Rheinmetall)
Rheinmetall announced in a press release on 30 July that it had taken over an ammunition factory in Várpalota, Hungary, the day before. The factory is designed to produce 30 mm ammunition for the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), which is being built in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, and delivered to the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF).
The German company said that the Várpalota factory would commence production of 30 mm ammunition in October, followed in a second phase by main battle tank and artillery rounds as well as primers. In the final expansion phase, the Várpalota site will cover around 150 ha.
Hungarian Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at the Várpalota handover ceremony that the factory would make Hungary self-sufficient in the manufacture of 30 mm ammunition, which he referred to as “Lynx fodder”.
A Rheinmetall spokesperson told Janes on 8 May that different types of ammunition, such as high explosive (HE) and kinetic energy time fused (KETF) rounds, would be produced for the HDF. The company's 30 July press release was illustrated by a photo showing a 120 mm armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS), DM88 and DM98 120 mm practice rounds, extended-range HE 120 mm tank and 155 mm artillery rounds, a Rheinmetall Denel Munition Assegai 155 mm Velocity-enhanced Long-range Artillery Projectile (V-LAP), and charges.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky expected new factories like the one in Várpalota to reduce Hungary's military dependence on supply chains.
For more information on Rheinmetall's ammunition production in Europe, please seeUkraine conflict: Kyiv contracts Rheinmetall to build ammunition factory .
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