German defence concern Rheinmetall has developed a new 120 mm eKE tank shell that penetrates the most advanced armour

German defence concern Rheinmetall has announced the completion of the development of a new 120mm armour-piercing tank shell.

Here's What We Know

The munition is named KE2020Neo or eKE (Enhanced Kinetic Energy) and has high kinetic energy, which allows it to penetrate the most modern armoured vehicles.

The main features of the KE2020Neo are:

• high-strength tungsten core, which significantly increases the penetrating power of the projectile;
• penetrates defences previously considered invulnerable;
• suitable for use in major NATO battle tanks, including the Leopard 2, M1 Abrams and British Challenger 3.

The KE2020Neo projectile has been tested and Rheinmetall confirms that it has received an order from the German and British armed forces for a qualification batch of ammunition. The contract was signed back in 2020 and its amount has not been disclosed.

The new ammunition will be an important step in enhancing the capabilities of NATO tanks, giving them superiority on the battlefield.

Source: Rheinmetall