Switzerland has awarded Rheinmetall a contract to deliver 81 mm mortar cargo ammunition. Under the deal, Rheinmetall Expal Munitions will supply the Swiss armed forces with 81mm MX2-KM mortar weapons and 81 mm mortar cartridges cargo for illumination white light, illumination infrared and smoke discharge using red phosphorus. Deliveries are expected to be completed by 2025.
The new ammunition order follows the Swiss Confederation’s request for proposals in May for a medium-range ground-based air defense system to upgrade the nation’s anti-aircraft technologies.
The string of military equipment purchases aligns with the Swiss government’s plans, unveiled in early 2024, to increase its defense spending by 19 percent over the next four years. Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd said the plan is part of an initiative to build a stronger army. “For the first time, we are indicating how the army must evolve in the next 12 years,” she said.