Product photos coming soon
Germany Rheinmetall
DM53 APFSDS
German 120 mm long-rod tungsten APFSDS round with a longer penetrator and higher velocity than DM43, designed to defeat reactive and composite armor.
Compiled from public sources ·last verified 2026-07-05
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
German export-licensed
BAFA licensing with strict end-use review; approvals can be politically constrained.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 120 mm |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 21 kg |
|---|
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Round type APFSDS (kinetic sabot), HEAT / multipurpose, HE-FRAG, canister or gun-launched ATGM. | APFSDS |
|---|---|
| Penetration Published/estimated rolled-homogeneous-armour-equivalent penetration. Values are open-source estimates; real figures are classified. | 650 mm RHA |
| Muzzle velocity Speed as the projectile leaves the barrel. Higher flattens trajectory and shortens time-to-target. | 1,750 m/s |
| Projectile mass Mass of the projectile or penetrator assembly. | 8.4 kg |
Specifications compiled from public Rheinmetall and reference sources. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Raytheon (RTX) GBU-53/B StormBreaker (SDB II) 
Israel Aerospace Industries LAHAT gun-launched ATGM Frequently asked questions
How much does the Rheinmetall DM53 APFSDS weigh? +
The Rheinmetall DM53 APFSDS has a combat weight of 21 kg.
