DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) - The consequences of the war in Ukraine have brought the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall the largest order in the company's history. The company announced on Thursday in Düsseldorf that it had received a framework contract from the German Armed Forces for artillery ammunition worth up to 8.5 billion euros.

The framework agreement in place since July 2023 had a maximum value of around 1.3 billion euros; this contract has now been increased by 7.2 billion euros. The number of bullets ordered, which can be fired 40 kilometers and have a caliber of 155 millimeters, was not specified - it is likely to be several million. Production takes place primarily in Unterlüß in Lower Saxony.

The ammunition is intended to fill the Bundeswehr's rather empty warehouses, and a large proportion of the volume is also to go to Ukraine. The country attacked by Russia had already received deliveries of ammunition from Germany, and further deliveries are to follow in the future. Deliveries under the now valid framework agreement are to begin at the start of 2025; this first tranche is reportedly worth 880 million euros. It is unclear how long the framework agreement will be valid for - the agreement concluded last year had a term of six years. Rheinmetall is Germany's largest arms manufacturer and also produces tanks, military trucks and guns./wdw/DP/jha