Rheinmetall has received a munitions order worth up to €4bn from the German government as the country rushes to shore up diminishing inventories to supply Ukraine with military equipment.Germany’s largest defence contractor on Thursday said that an existing agreement worth more than €550mn for 120mm tank ammunition, including the type fired by the main gun of the Leopard 2 tank, had been expanded “to close gaps that have arisen in the stocks [of the German military]”.

“The framework contract also provides for the supply of a significant amount of tank ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the company said, adding that the Bundeswehr (German federal army) had retrieved an initial round of ammunition worth €309mn “as soon as the contract was signed”.

Rheinmetall said that the order would “secure ammunition supply in the long term” not only for the Bundeswehr but also “partner countries?.?.?.?as production processes can be planned better and existing capacities can be optimally exploited”.