In June, the German company Rheinmetall unveiled its new high-precision grenade launcher, the 40mm SSW40. Now, the first live-fire trials have been conducted at the company’s testing center in Unterlüß.
During these tests, the SSW40 successfully engaged targets at ranges between 100 and 500 meters. According to Rheinmetall, the shooters were highly impressed with the system’s performance.
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The SSW40 is a magazine-fed grenade launcher in a rifle-like format, capable of delivering accurate fire at distances up to 900 meters. It holds between three to five grenades per magazine, simplifying reloading and significantly increasing the rate of fire.
It supports a wide range of 40mm ammunition types, including high-explosive fragmentation, anti-armor, dual-purpose, door-breaching, programmable airburst, smoke, illumination, flash-bang, and riot control grenades with tear gas.
Perhaps most notably, the SSW40 can fire both low-velocity 40×46mm grenades (commonly used in handheld launchers) and medium-velocity 40×53mm grenades (used in automatic launchers like the Mk 19). The latter offer greater muzzle velocity and explosive power, extending effective range and lethality—but must be loaded individually into the barrel.
The launcher supports various optics, including both optical and reflex sights. During testing, an Aimpoint reflex sight was used. The SSW40 can also be equipped with a laser rangefinder and ballistic computer, enhancing accuracy and enabling the use of airburst grenades, which can even be used to engage drones.
Overall, the SSW40 is a highly promising precision grenade launcher, aimed at significantly increasing the lethality of infantry grenadiers. However, it’s not the first of its kind.
In the U.S., several similar systems are under development. Northrop Grumman, for instance, has showcased a 25mm precision grenade launcher. Despite its smaller caliber, it offers some superior features compared to the German counterpart and supports a comparable—or even broader—range of ammunition types.
Additionally, Barrett has introduced the SSRS, a 30mm launcher with similar combat capabilities. This system appears to be the leading candidate for adoption by the U.S. Army and has already won an innovation contest.
These U.S. developments are part of the Army’s Precision Grenadier System (PGS) program, which aims to enhance the accuracy and lethality of infantry grenade launchers. It’s likely that Germany took note of this trend and decided to develop its own solution—and quite successfully. According to Rheinmetall, the SSW40 already has undisclosed buyers lined up.
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