Norwegian army to get Swedish-made programmable ammunition HE 448

Saab has received an order from the Norwegian Armed Forces for deliveries of ammunition for the recoilless Carl-Gustaf rifle.

The order is signed within a 15-year framework agreement that allows the Norwegian Armed Forces to place orders for Carl-Gustaf ammunition and weapons, Defense Here reports. This includes the new programmable high explosive round HE 448, among other ammunition types. In January 2021, Norway became the 14th user of the latest Carl-Gustaf M4.

“We are pleased to continue to support the Norwegian Armed Forces with our Carl-Gustaf ammunition. These munitions will further strengthen Norwegian defence capability,“ says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.

The Swedish company Saab carried out showy shootings in front of more than 30 foreign guests to demonstrate the latest ammunition HE 448 and the latest Fire Control Device [FCD] 558 in May 2022.

HE 448 is a new programmable High Explosive [HE] round. The HE 448 can provide information such as the round type and propellant temperature of the FCD 558. To facilitate the FCD 558 operator, the HE 448 can combine this information with the distance information to the target and thus help the FCD 558 operator determine the most -appropriate trajectory. All this means that the operator will increase its efficiency, as well as the operational efficiency of the weapon.

Saab has then said the HE 448 has increased range. The design and efficiency of the HE 448 have been achieved thanks to the communication between Saab and the company’s partners, as well as the participation of soldiers, thus providing the necessary feedback to significantly improve performance. Regarding the development of FCD 558 by Saab, they say that “FCD 558 also gives users a new option for equipping Carl-Gustaf with a more efficient sighting solution than the baseline configuration.”