The Netherlands has concluded a framework contract with Rheinmetall to manufacture and supply a wide range of hand grenades for its armed forces.
The agreement spans an initial five years, with an optional two-year extension, and includes roughly 15 grenade variants, although details of the specific types have not been disclosed.
While Rheinmetall has not specified the exact contract value, the company characterised it as worth a double-digit million euro sum.
Production will be shared across Rheinmetall’s facilities in Trittau and Silberhütte in Germany, and Schwanenstadt in Austria.
The deal strengthens the long-standing procurement relationship between the Netherlands and Rheinmetall, which already covers the supply of 155mm artillery shells and 40mm ammunition.
It also underscores a growing pattern among European NATO countries — such as Germany and Estonia — of using long-term framework agreements with domestic and regional suppliers to guarantee reliable ammunition availability.
In response to supply-chain vulnerabilities highlighted by the Ukraine conflict, European armed forces have increasingly adopted flexible procurement structures that allow rapid order expansion without reopening negotiations.
For the Dutch military, the framework agreement secures a consistent flow of infantry munitions critical for close-quarters combat, urban warfare, and training needs, while reinforcing European defence-industrial supply chains.
