The Rheinmetall Squad Support Weapon SSW-40 grenade launcher was officially presented for the first time at the Eurosatory exhibition in 2022. However, the SSW-40 grenade launcher is obviously based on the Rheinmetall Hydra, a prototype 40mm weapon which first appeared as a conceptual design in 2011 and was in development ever since. As of the moment of this writing (summer 2025), the Rheinmetall SSW-40 is being prepared for the first production batch, which is expected to be delivered to the unnamed customer (one of European NATO countries) in 2026.
The Rheinmetall Squad Support Weapon SSW-40 grenade launcher in its pre-production form
the Rheinmetall Hydra, a conceptual art from 2011
the Rheinmetall Hydra, experimental prototype from 2014
The Rheinmetall Squad Support Weapon SSW-40 grenade launcher is a hand-held automatic weapon, designed to fire 40mm Medium Velocity (40x51mm MV) grenade ammunition, also developed by the Rheinmetall. This ammunition fills the gap between the standard 40x46mm grenade ammunition (currently also known as the 40mm LV – Low Velocity), intended for hand-held weapons such as M79 or M203, and the 40x53mm High Velocity rounds, developed for the crew-served, mounted automatic grenade launchers such as Mk.19. The 40x51mm MV ammunition has muzzle velocity of 100-120 m/s, compared to 75 m/s velocity of 40x46mm LV rounds. This noticeable velocity increase allows for significant improvements in hit probability and effective range, from 400 to 600-800 meters, but also causes much severe recoil, which requires special recoil mitigation techniques.
The Rheinmetall Squad Support Weapon SSW-40 grenade launcher, as shown in 2022
The Rheinmetall SSW-40 grenade launcher is a semi-automatic or a select-fire weapon (sources are not clear on this). It uses simple blowback action, but to cope with increased recoil of the 40mm MV rounds the bolt has a built-in hydraulic buffer. Ammunition is fed from the detachable box magazines, with varying capacities, from 4 to 10 rounds. It must be noted that even the 6-round magazine is quite bulky and weights around 2 kg fully loaded, and the 10-round magazine is a 4-kilogram monstrosity about a half-meter high. The SSW-40 grenade launcher is equipped with Picatinny rails which can be used to mount various sighting equipment, including modern electro-optical sights with lase range-finders, ballistic computers and wireless interfaces, used to program air-bursting warheads.
The SSW-40 grenade launcher has a couple of interesting technical features. One is a break-up design of its barrel, which allows for single loading various extra long rounds (i.e. signal or less-lethal) which otherwise would not fit into the magazine. Another use of the tip-up barrel is a quick switch of the ammunition type ready for fire, without the need to change a magazine.
Another somewhat unusual feature is that the shoulder stock also serves as a charging handle. T manually cycle the action, operator has to press a lever at the bottom of the shoulder pad, and then retract the stock to the rear, then push it back in until it locks with the receiver.
Rheinmetall SSW-40 grenade launcher demosntration
Provisional specifications for the Rheinmetall SSW-40 grenade launcher
Encyclopedia of firearms and ammunition of the XX and XXI centuries
All texts are written by Maxim Popenker © 1999-2025
